Hong Kong’s Consumer Council warns local travellers against online visa scams from fake government websites
- Websites posing as official government sites vastly overcharge Hongkongers seeking online visas
- At least 30 complaints over such scams since 2016, according to council
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog on Monday warned residents against websites that posed as official government sites and overcharged people seeking online arrival visas for international travel.
ETAs allow Hong Kong passport holders to enter countries such as Canada and Australia for short-term stays without an official visa, but travellers must apply online before arrival.
In one of the complaints, a woman surnamed Cheung went online to apply for an ETA before her visit to Australia. She mistook a website that displayed the Australian national flag – and used the terms “immi” and “ETA” – as the official site for Australia’s immigration department. She paid US$100 (HK$783) for the ETA application, well above the normal fee of A$20 (US$13.75).
Some people choose these sites because of Google search rankings
Cheung later found a notice in fine print at the bottom of the website saying it was run by a private company. She believed the website deliberately copied the official Australian site because there was no clear disclosure of the company background or other important information.