Visa fraud in Kerala: how to tell a genuine visa from a fake, and how not to be cheated

Most visa fraud in Kerala does not look like fraud. It looks like a helpful person with a good price, a friendly voice on WhatsApp and a visa that “will definitely come”. This guide explains how to check any Gulf visa yourself, how to recognise a fake agent, and exactly what to do if you have already paid.

We are a travel agency in Eranhipalam, and we would rather you check us than trust us blindly. Apply every test below to Albah too.

Step one: check the visa on the government’s own portal

If the government’s system cannot find your visa, do not travel, whatever the agent says.

Our visa status check page lists these portals in one place. The official address for each country is below, checked on 26 October 2026.

Open the portal from our page or type the address yourself, never from a link an agent sent you.

A specific warning about “Enjaz”

Many people in Kerala still remember Enjaz as the Saudi visa website. As of 26 October 2026, enjazit.com.sa does not exist at all: it has no DNS record. And enjaz.com.sa has an expired security certificate, which means your browser should warn you before opening it.

When a famous name sits on an unregistered or neglected domain, anyone can take it over and dress it up as the real thing. If an agent or an old post tells you to “check on Enjaz”, do not. Use the Saudi addresses in the table above. They are the government’s, not a brand’s.

Kuwait is different: there is no public checker

Kuwait has no working public visa status-check portal that we could confirm. The Ministry of Interior’s own published link returns an error, one e-visa address fails to respond, and another puts tracking behind a sign-in. Every “Kuwait visa check” site you find in search results is a private company, not the government.

Be extra careful: deal only with someone whose office you can visit. Read our Kuwait visa page before paying anyone.

Fake websites and lookalike domains

Fake visa websites exist to collect passport numbers and card details. Some are dressed up as government verification hubs on free code-hosting domains. The address is the only reliable test.

• UAE: the address must end in .gov.ae
• Saudi Arabia: .gov.sa, or ksavisa.sa or nusuk.sa
• Qatar: moi.gov.qa or hukoomi.gov.qa
• Oman: rop.gov.om
• Kuwait: moi.gov.kw
• Bahrain: .gov.bh

Anything else is not the government, however official the logo. Type the address by hand rather than following a link from a message.

Warning signs of a fake agent

• Cash only. A genuine business can take a bank transfer to a company account.
• No receipt. If they will not write down what you paid and for what, assume you cannot prove it later.
• A “guaranteed” visa. Nobody can promise this. See below.
• Pressure to pay today. Urgency is a tactic.
• A price far below the official fee. Check the government fee first. If an agent is charging less than the fee itself, the money is not paying for a real visa.
• WhatsApp only. No landline, no email at a company domain, no written terms.
• No office you can visit. Ask for the address and go there before paying.
• A personal account given for payment instead of a company account.
• A “job visa” offer. This is a very common hook. See the section on jobs below.

Why nobody can guarantee a visa

A visa is a decision made by a foreign government. An agent can prepare your documents correctly and submit them. An agent cannot decide the outcome. Bahrain’s own eVisa site says it plainly: holding a visa does not guarantee entry, and payment does not guarantee approval.

A guarantee is a sign that the person is not being truthful or is not using the official route. A trustworthy agency tells you what is likely, what could go wrong and what is refundable.

“Job visa” offers: the most common hook

The Ministry of External Affairs says unregistered agents are the main source of fake job offers, and that running as a recruiting agent without registration breaks the Emigration Act, 1983. It also says a valid offer should allow you to emigrate on an employment visa, and that a tourist or visit visa should be used only for tourism.

The MEA’s pre-departure guidance adds that a visit visa is not covered by the destination country’s labour laws. Before you pay a recruiter, ask for the registration certificate and licence number, and check it on the eMigrate portal.

Albah Holidays does not arrange jobs, employment or work visas. We hold no recruitment licence. We handle visit visas and tourism, and we help with attestation. If anyone offers a job through a visit visa, whoever they are, walk away.

What happens if you travel on a forged visa

The decision on entry always belongs to the destination country. We have not listed penalty figures, because we could not confirm current ones from an official source. What the MEA’s UAE pre-departure manual does say is that submitting forged documents makes an employee liable to punishment. In general, expect to be refused entry at the airport, with a real risk of being held, sent back or prosecuted.

Being cheated does not shield you: you are the one at the immigration desk. Check the visa on the portal before you buy a ticket.

Is your passport safe with an agent?

A genuine agency needs a copy of your passport. It should never need your bank PIN, card OTP or any biometric scan. The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi warned on 24 August 2026 that scammers posing as agents were collecting face and fingerprint scans to open accounts and take loans in victims’ names. It said such scans must be given only at official government facilities.

If you have been cheated: what to do, in order

1. Call 1930 immediately if you paid by bank transfer, UPI or card. This is the National Cyber Crime helpline for financial fraud.
2. Complete the report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Have transaction details, phone numbers and screenshots ready.
3. Go to your local police station and file a complaint with copies of everything. In an emergency, call 112, which the Kerala Police site lists as the emergency helpline.
4. If it was a job or migration offer, complain to the Protector General of Emigrants through the eMigrate portal, or to the Protector of Emigrants’ office. You can also register on the MADAD portal of the MEA.
5. Keep every record: chats, voice notes, receipts, bank statements, the visa copy and the agent’s phone numbers. Do not delete the chat.
6. Do not pay again to “recover” the money. A second request is part of the same scheme.

Apply the same tests to Albah

We are an agency, so these rules apply to us too. Ask us for a receipt for every payment. Pay only to the company’s account, never to a personal account or a person’s phone number. Ask us to show you the application on the government portal. Visit the office. If we cannot show you, do not pay us. Start from our contact page, and see what we do for UAE and Saudi Arabia visas.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check if my visa is genuine?

Use the issuing government’s own portal and enter your visa, application or passport details yourself. Our visa status check page lists the official portal for each Gulf country. If the government system cannot find the visa, do not travel. A PDF or screenshot is not proof.

What should I do if an agent cheated me?

Call 1930 at once if you paid electronically, then report on cybercrime.gov.in, then file a complaint at your local police station. If it was a job offer, also complain to the Protector General of Emigrants through eMigrate or on the MADAD portal. Keep all chats and receipts.

Can an agent guarantee a visa?

No. The issuing government decides. An agent can only prepare and submit the application correctly. Treat any guarantee as a warning sign.

Is it safe to send my passport to an agent?

Sending a copy to a genuine, visitable agency for an application is normal. Do not give the original to anyone you cannot visit, and never share OTPs, PINs or biometric scans. Biometrics are taken only at official government facilities.

Can I work on a visit visa or tourist visa?

No. The MEA says a tourist visa should only be used for tourism, and that a visit visa is not covered by the destination country’s labour law. A job offered on a visit visa is a common fraud hook.

What happens if I land on a forged visa?

Entry is decided by the destination country, and you can expect refusal and possible action under its law. The MEA’s UAE guidance lists forged documents as a ground for punishment. Check the visa on the official portal before you book a flight.

Sources were checked on 26 October 2026. Portals, rules and advisories change, so confirm on the official site before you rely on them.

Sources

• MEA: Complaints against Recruiting Agents
• MEA: Working Abroad (complaints on eMigrate)
• MEA: Overseas Employment FAQ
• MEA: Pre-departure information manual, UAE
• MEA: Consular complaints and grievances (MADAD)
• eMigrate portal
• MADAD portal
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
• Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs — National Cybercrime Reporting Portal
• Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) — FAQ, including the 1930 helpline
• Kerala Police
• Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi: advisory of 24 August 2026
• UAE ICP Smart Services: file validity
• GDRFA Dubai: status inquiry
• Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visa inquiry
• Saudi KSA Visa: track application
• Qatar Ministry of Interior: visa inquiry
• Royal Oman Police: e-Visa tracking
• Bahrain eVisa portal