Cyprus police warn of a new type of online visa scam

The Cyprus police have issued a warning about a new method of online fraud related to visa applications submitted through fake websites that visually mimic official government portals.

The warning was prompted by a report received on January 20. A foreign resident in Cyprus attempted to apply for a UK entry visa online but became a victim of scammers. The man visited a website that looked almost identical to the official UK visa portal and began the standard application process.

The applicant filled out the electronic form, providing personal details as well as his bank card information to pay the visa fee. After completing the procedure, funds were withdrawn from his account, but he never received confirmation of the visa application. It later turned out that the site was fake.

The police note that such fraudulent resources are intentionally designed to closely resemble official websites — using similar logos, colors, form layouts, and wording. This makes it much harder to detect the fake, especially for first-time visa applicants.

Law enforcement authorities urge residents and visitors of the island to be extremely careful when submitting visa applications online, to use only official government websites, and to carefully check the page address in the browser. It is also strongly recommended not to enter personal or banking details on suspicious or unverified sites.

The police continue to investigate the incident and remind that in case of suspected fraud, it is necessary to immediately contact law enforcement authorities.