The High Commission of Pakistan in London has warned overseas Pakistanis against fraudulent help centres in the UK which are charging hundreds of pounds for fake identity cards that allow ‘visa-free’ travel to Pakistan.
Many self-styled ‘NADRA Advice Bureaus’ have opened up after online applications began in August 2015 for the National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) which was launched in 2012.
“It has come to the notice of the Pakistan High Commission London that some recently established self-styled ‘NADRA Advice Bureaus’ are charging money from the applicants for helping them submit their Online NADRA Applications,” the warning read.
The High Commission went on to add that the purported “NADRA Advice Bureaus” are also warned that any use of the logo of the Government of Pakistan would be illegal and liable to prosecution.
The Pakistani community members, in their own interest, are advised to beware of the situation as many of these bureaus, some of them run from home, are not authorised and put people at risk of identity fraud, it warned.
The benefits of NICOP cards include visa-free entry into Pakistan, official citizenship and the right to open a bank account and buy or sell property.
Speaking to BBC Asian Network, one woman said lost £300 when she used a fake advisor.
“We heard that a man in the community was offering the service; we thought he was something to do with consulate,” she said.
However, she added, “He applied for our cards online but, when they arrived, one had the wrong name on it, another the wrong address and one stated the person lived in the United States.”
She said they paid £90 for each card and were told it would cost £100 per card to have the details amended. She then had to travel to consulates in Birmingham and Manchester to get real ID cards.
Meanwhile, an advice session was closed down by authorities after a businessman advertised the service at a mosque in Greater Manchester.
Consul General of Pakistan in Manchester, Zahoor Ahmad, said: “The Consulate does not hold surgeries in private places and had not authorised it.”
There are around 1.17 million Pakistanis living in the UK and around 3,500 NICOP applications are processed each week.
