43 visa applicants arrested at US Embassy over fraud

The Embassy of the United States of America (US) in Kampala has arrested 43 visa applicants carrying suspected forged documents and handed them over to the police for prosecution since July last year.

According to James V Bloomer, the Senior Regional Security Officer at the US Embassy, the suspects attempted to use counterfeit documents to obtain visas for travel to the US.

“Since July of last year, we have had 43 people who have tried to use some sort of fake documents to obtain a Visa to go to the United States. Those 43 people have been arrested. They have been stopped in the US Embassy, and they have been handed over to the Ugandan police forces for prosecution,” Bloomer said at the Uganda Media Centre on Monday.

The US has tightened the screws on visa issuance in an effort to curb overstays and illegal immigration. One of the measures introduced is a visa bond, requiring some travellers to deposit between $5,000 (Shs18.8m) and $15,000 (Shs56m). This money is refunded only if the traveller plays by the rules during their stay.

“If you receive the Visa and you will be told after the interview whether or not you will receive it, the person doing the interview will tell you how much you have to pay for the Visa bond. Please don’t pay the Visa bond until you receive your Visa. There are people out there who are trying to separate you from your money. Therefore, don’t let them,” Bloomer said.

He urged visa holders to comply by following the instructions in their travel documents, particularly regarding the duration of their stay.

“Please, do not stay longer. That is an agreement between you and the person who accepted the Visa, and the US that you will follow the rules of that Visa,” he said.

Uganda Police Force spokesman Rusoke Kituuma noted that many Ugandans are falling prey to fraudsters masquerading as intermediaries between embassies and visa applicants.

“Many Ugandans are grappling with conmen, who pretend to be go-betweens, but are actually impersonators. These criminals present themselves as officers from government agencies, ministries, non-governmental organisations, banks, telecoms, and other government bodies. They target people who are green about processes, who are in a state of urgency, who want shortcuts, who are very trusting, and some who are desperate for solutions,” Rusoke said.

He explained that these conmen rely on fake identity cards, contacts, and forged introduction letters.

“Once they receive money, they disappear or keep asking for more, leaving the victim ashamed and afraid to speak out. As the Uganda Police Force, we want to assure the members of the public that genuine officials don’t ask for money or perform their lawful duties under a request for pay,” he said.

He advised the public to raise the alarm and contact security personnel immediately if approached by such criminals claiming to process visa documents.