Fake calls from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), the Home Office, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the police
Government offices do not phone you to demand fines, gift cards or transfers, and they do not threaten deportation or arrest to get money. Hang up, and call the office back on a number from its own official website. Report the number to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the scam to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
What the scam sounds like
A caller says they are from UKVI, the Home Office, the police, the FIA or an embassy. They say there is a problem with your visa or a case against you. They say you will be deported or arrested unless you pay now.
Leeds University warns that students may be contacted by someone claiming there is a problem with their bank account or visa. The caller may say it is an offence to tell anyone else, and that they are watching you. The phone number or email address may look genuine, because caller details can be faked.
Example in Roman Urdu, written to show the style and not copied from one case: 'Main FIA se bol raha hun, aap ke khilaf case darj hai, abhi payment karein warna giraftar ho jayenge.'
What officials never do
The UK government says the Home Office will never contact you to ask for money or your personal details. It will never ask for payment by email, at a visa application centre or into a personal bank account. Its official email addresses look like name.surname@homeoffice.gov.uk. An email can show an address like this and still be fake, so contact the Home Office through GOV.UK yourself.
The University of Kent says Home Office or UKVI officials will never ask you to pay visa fees or fines using iTunes gift cards.
An older notice from Study in the States (2015, which says it may be out of date) says the US Student and Exchange Visitor Program will not call you to collect payments or personal information, and tells students to hang up.
What to do during the call
- Do not argue or explain. Hang up.
- Do not give your passport number, bank details, passwords or one-time codes.
- Do not pay, and never buy gift cards or send crypto.
- Write down the number, the time and what they said.
- Find the real office's phone number or email on its own official website, and contact it from there. Do not use a number the caller gave you.
FIA notices in Pakistan
Daily Pakistan reported in November 2025 that the FIA's electronic notices now carry a QR code, and that a notice without a QR code should be considered fake or suspicious. This comes from a news report, not from the FIA's own website, so also confirm with the FIA through its official contact details if you receive a notice.
The FIA's cyber crime wing was dissolved, and NCCIA now takes cyber crime complaints.
Report it
- Report the number to your mobile company first, then to PTA on 0800‑55055 or at complaint.pta.gov.pk. PTA says it will block the number and the mobile device.
- Report the scam to NCCIA on 1799 or at complaint.nccia.gov.pk.
- If you already sent money or details, read 'I already paid a scammer or fake agent: what to do now' straight away.
Questions people ask
Can UKVI or the Home Office ask me to pay a fine by phone?
No. The UK government says it will never contact you to ask for money, and it will never take payment by email, at a visa application centre or into a personal bank account.
The caller's number looks genuine. Is it safe?
Not necessarily. Phone numbers and email addresses can be made to look genuine. Hang up and call back on a number from the official website.
Sources
Official and institution sources
- Frauds, tricks and scams (GOV.UK (Home Office))
- Immigration fraud (University of Kent)
- Common scams (University of Leeds)
- Staying safe (Chevening)
- Students: SEVP will never call you to collect your I-901 SEVIS fee (2015 notice) (DHS Study in the States)
- NCCIA helpline fully operational (press release No. 19, 3 June 2025) (Government of Pakistan, Press Information Department)
- Protect yourself from scams (Internet Archive copy, 3 September 2026) (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA))
News reports and support organisations
- FIA goes digital with electronic notice system (26 November 2025) (Daily Pakistan)
Facts checked on