Paldi woman duped of Rs 10L in UK student visa fraud

Ahmedabad: A Paldi resident has accused an immigration consultancy firm of cheating her family out of more than Rs 10 lakh after allegedly promising to secure a UK student visa for her son but failing to refund the money when the process did not materialise.

According to an FIR lodged with Satellite police station on Friday, the 50-year-old complainant said her 23-year-old son aspired to pursue higher studies in the UK and the family began searching for visa consultancy services in 2024. During their search, they attended a seminar on immigration service at a firm’s office near Shyamal crossroads.

Police said the family later visited the consultancy’s office in Jan 2025, where an employee allegedly assured them of admission to a university in Birmingham. The employee reportedly guided the student for nearly six months regarding overseas education procedures and interview preparation.

The complainant alleged that the consultancy collected her son’s academic documents and later instructed the family to transfer Rs 10.07 lakh towards admission and visa-related expenses. Trusting the assurances, she transferred the amount through RTGS to a bank account provided by the accused.

The student subsequently appeared for an online interview from home, allegedly arranged through the consultancy. However, the family was later informed that he had failed the interview and that the deposited amount would be refunded within 90 days.

When repeated attempts to recover the money failed, the family grew suspicious. The complainant told police that the employee handling the case had left the firm and his phone was switched off.

Satellite police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust and launched an investigation.