The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. has issued a warning of fraudulent calls being made by individuals impersonating Embassy officials. The scammers are using tactics to deceive Indian nationals, including claiming errors in passports and visa applications that could lead to deportation or imprisonment.
The Embassy clarified that its officials do not make telephone calls seeking personal information from individuals. If additional documentation is required from an applicant, it is requested solely through emails originating from the “@mea.gov.in” domain.
The fraudulent calls may display Embassy phone numbers, including (202-939-7000), or simply use the Embassy’s name. The scammers aim to obtain personal information such as credit card details or extort money by falsely claiming errors in passports, visa forms, or immigration documents.
The Embassy urges the public to report any suspicious calls received in its name to cons1.washington@mea.gov.in. Additionally, individuals can share information about spoofed calls by filling out a form and emailing it to cpers.washington@mea.gov.in with the subject line “INFORMATION ON SPOOFED CALLS.”
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool, and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.