Travelers from all over the world have been warned to be very cautious of fraudulent websites when applying for e-Visas and online travel authorizations.
This warning comes following the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) by the UK and aims to make travelers aware of scammers who are using different methods to mislead applicants and claim to be offering legitimate services, VisaGuide.World reports.
A number of countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others, require travelers to obtain travel authorization before reaching their territories. In addition, several countries issue e-Visas.
Since it is becoming increasingly common for more countries to require travel authorizations and issue e-Visas, scamming cases have also increased.
Fraudulent Websites Are Sophisticated but Not Hard to Spot
As Visa News explains, there are currently many fraudulent websites claiming to secure travel authorizations and e-Visas in exchange for high amounts of money. Once these websites get the money, travelers never hear from them again as they are not authorized to grant such documents.
The fraudulent websites are very sophisticated as they copy the design and layout of official sites and use similar domains.
Some of them also appear in the form of ads and some users who think that these websites are legitimate click on them as require services without thinking twice.
In addition to having to pay a large amount of money for fake services, travelers also risk having their personal data shared and their banking information stolen when using these fraudulent websites.
For this reason, those planning to apply for e-Visas and travel authorizations are recommended to only ask for the help of legitimate travel and visa service agencies that clearly state that they are intermediaries and are authorized.
UK Is Most Recent Country to Introduce Electronic Travel Authorization Requirement
UK is the most recent country to make it mandatory for all travelers who are eligible for visa-free entry into the country to apply for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
UK’s ETA was introduced for different countries at different times. Nationals of Qatar were the first to become subject to the UK ETA requirement in November 2023. The other Gulf countries and Jordan nationals become subject to this requirement too, but later on, in February 2024.
After a year, in February 2025, the UK introduced the ETA requirement for all non-EU nationals, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
Lastly, the ETA requirement was introduced for all EU/Schengen Are countries in April 2025.