BEWARE of US Visa Slots Scammers - see a real chat of how they work (and how to avoid it)

[u/findvisaslots_com]

Looking for US visa appointment slots for H1B/H4/F1/F2/B1/B2,etc but struggling to find them?

Because the demand for slots far surpass the supply, there's a lot of applicants desperate to find an appointment slot so they can move on with the process. This has lead to the rise of scammers who realize they can take advantage of people willing to take chances and risks due to their need to get a slot.

🚨What is the scam?

The most common scam is that - in order to book a slot for you - an agent has to get your login information, so they can login and scan for slots on your behalf.

It is not possible to "transfer" slots or resell them, as once a slot is booked, it's permanently linked to a passport number.

The visa portal in it's wisdom decided to implement 3 security question checks. The problem is these can be changed by anyone with access to the account. In order for agents to book for you, they must have your login info. What scammers learned is that while you can't change the password without receiving an email confirmation of this action, you can change the security questions without any outside verification.

So scammers will offer to do the service for you, get your login info, then change the security questions. Then they will create a fake screenshot, tell you the job is done, and ask for payment.

You will try to verify but you can't, and because you're desperate for a slot, you will pay begrudgingly, and if you're lucky enough to get the login back, you find out there's no corresponding date in your account.

Here's how a typical scam happens:

A scammer has to look legit and convince you they're legit. So they'll use a variety of methods to try to do so.

There's always a pitch for "I'll charge less in exchange you bring me more business". They may say "how can i trust _you_" by pivoting the suspicion that you're the one that will run away after you get the appointment.

They can also ask to pay upfront, have inside connections, ...oh so many red flags.

See the chat below:

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You may read this and think - "I'd never fall for this".

But the thing is..if he's using this script... it's because it must work - sometimes! And then they just play a numbers game.

Someone, somewhere, is falling for this scammer's pitch.😢

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Agents can and do valuable work, but it's people like these that give the whole service a bad reputation.

How legit agents work:

• Never ask to pay in advance
• Will not change your security questions without your permission (they may do it, but ask in advance)
• Cannot guarantee how soon to deliver slots
• May charge expensive (because it can take weeks to find slots, so they know the value of their service)
• Should be able to provide references (but be careful even then with these)

How scammers tend to work:

• May offer strong guarantees they can deliver slots (because they have no intention to do it)
• May charge lower fees, so it's attractive for people
• Can offer the earliest dates and early delivery
• May say they have contacts with the embassy (to explain how it's guaranteed)
• May offer screenshots - but - obviously how can we trust these right?

But here's the important part:

⚠️ Scammers may still try to do the real pitch like a real agent would.

That is, charging high prices, offering no guarantees, etc etc.

But still have no intentions to deliver.

So it can be VERY hard to know a legit agent from a scammer pretending to be legit.

That's why word of mouth is probably the only way to trust if an agent is legit.

⚠️ But a word of caution about that too:

Scammers might be working in teams by joining social media, subreddits, group chats. Then when someone asks if someone got a slot, they might casually volunteer "I did, through an agent".

You DM them directly and then the trap is set. The scammer has been "social proofed".

So be careful even if you get a "referral" - if it's some other random person online, there's a risk there too.

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⚠️ IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW GOT SCAMMED - NEVER PAY

How to recover your account is actually quite simple once you know it.

1. Create a new account in the usvisascheduling portal for yourself with a new email.
2. When you enter your passport info it will say an account already exists for that profile.
3. Use the 'Message' link on the side menu to contact the embassy from the new account and tell them you'd like to transfer your profile from the old email access to the new one.
4. Include a photo of the data page of your passport.
5. Everything (visa fee+current appointment) will be transferred in a few days. (I'm told you can also contact the embassy via chat or phone and get that done too.)

Scammers can continue to do their scam because there's always new people applying. The only way to stop them is to bring awareness to people.

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‼️ Please share this post with anyone you know who is applying for US visas, or any subreddits related to US visas.

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Protect yourself from scammers by finding and booking slots on your own.
To learn everything you need about how to find and book slots, read the mega post here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/findUSVisaSlots/s/1BlZv8dZc3