Conning the gullible

To be honest we have little sympathy for those who fall victim to the dishonest individuals claiming to be able to secure visas for persons wishing to go to the US. How often have we been warned of the scams and how often do we still hand over cash to the crooks? The visa “consultants” and the gullible will always find each other. Both the “consultants”, who are in it for cash, and the visa applicants who wish to bypass regular procedure are at fault here. Until the con artists who are engaged in highly questionable tactics, including claims of having insider contact at the Embassy are fully exposed and made to face the consequences there will be visa seekers willing to patronise them.

Those wishing to travel to the US and who employ the “services” of these crooks, seem very well prepared to pay the money charged, in the mistaken belief that they will be able to secure entry and make back the fee several times over through illegal employment in the US. It is bad that con artists are always willing to persuade the foolish to part with their money. It is worse when the foolish allow themselves to be robbed. Some of the consultants whenever a visa lottery is announced for the distribution of permanent visas have openly advertised in the newspapers that they can advise people how to be successful. The truth is that green card lottery is purely one of luck and chance. The “consultants” have also falsely used the names and/or business cards of Embassy employees. It would be interesting for the US Embassy, through this country’s law enforcement agency to find out how the calling cards were obtained.

Many visa “consultants” exploit the anxiety of individuals to obtain US visas, temporary or permanent. And employing the philosophy, often attributed to the late American showman, Phineas T Barnum, that “a sucker is born every minute”, proceed to swindle them. By the way our people line up and pay non-refundable cash for appointments at the US Embassy just to “apply” for a visa, there is the perception, encouraged by the “consultants” that we are prepared to do anything to get a visa. Is it not time that we ourselves put a stop to this absurdity including handing over money to so called visa consultants?