What are the red flags of this scam?

An unexpected call claims to be from the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), or an invented unit such as the 'Visa Fraud Squad' — no such squad exists • You are threatened with immediate deportation, visa cancellation, or arrest unless you pay a fine right away — this is not how the Home Office communicates • Payment is demanded via gift cards (iTunes, Amazon), MoneyGram, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer — government agencies never accept payment this way • The caller already knows your name, passport number, or visa reference — these can be obtained from data breaches and do not make the call legitimate • The caller ID shows a UK government-looking number — this can be spoofed by anyone • You are told to keep the call secret and not tell your university, employer, or family — a red flag to prevent you from getting a second opinion

What should I do if this happened to me?

Hang up immediately. The Home Office and UKVI do not cold call people about visa problems, and they never demand immediate payment over the phone. • Do not pay any amount by gift card, MoneyGram, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer — these are irreversible and used exclusively by scammers. • If you are concerned about your visa status, check directly through GOV.UK (gov.uk/check-immigration-status) using a URL you type yourself — never follow a link from a suspicious message. • Contact your university's International Student Advisory Service, your employer's HR department, or an OISC-regulated immigration adviser for advice. These services can verify whether any immigration issue is real. • Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report calls and any financial loss to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

HIGH government impersonation Last reported: 21 Oct 2026 Share

A call claiming to be the Home Office says your visa will be cancelled unless you pay a fine immediately

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Callers impersonate the Home Office or UKVI threatening deportation or visa cancellation unless you pay a non-existent fine via gift cards or transfer. Targets international students, foreign workers, and recent migrants unfamiliar with UK government procedures.

Callers impersonate the Home Office or UKVI threatening deportation or visa cancellation unless you pay a non-existent fine via gift cards or transfer. Targets international students, foreign workers, and recent migrants unfamiliar with UK government procedures.

Also known as: UKVI scam call UK, Home Office impersonation scam, visa cancellation threat scam UK, visa fraud squad call UK, deportation threat phone scam UK, fake immigration officer UK

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Hang up immediately. The Home Office and UKVI do not cold call people about visa problems, and they never demand immediate payment over the phone.
2 Do not pay any amount by gift card, MoneyGram, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer — these are irreversible and used exclusively by scammers.
3 If you are concerned about your visa status, check directly through GOV.UK (gov.uk/check-immigration-status) using a URL you type yourself — never follow a link from a suspicious message.
4 Contact your university's International Student Advisory Service, your employer's HR department, or an OISC-regulated immigration adviser for advice. These services can verify whether any immigration issue is real.
5 Forward suspicious emails to [email protected]. Report calls and any financial loss to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
6 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Red flags

⚠ An unexpected call claims to be from the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), or an invented unit such as the 'Visa Fraud Squad' — no such squad exists
⚠ You are threatened with immediate deportation, visa cancellation, or arrest unless you pay a fine right away — this is not how the Home Office communicates
⚠ Payment is demanded via gift cards (iTunes, Amazon), MoneyGram, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer — government agencies never accept payment this way
⚠ The caller already knows your name, passport number, or visa reference — these can be obtained from data breaches and do not make the call legitimate
⚠ The caller ID shows a UK government-looking number — this can be spoofed by anyone
⚠ You are told to keep the call secret and not tell your university, employer, or family — a red flag to prevent you from getting a second opinion

Known variants

Chinese police or foreign authority impersonation targeting international students

Last seen: 10/21/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources