Following numerous online frauds from fake websites, thousands of Australians preparing to travel to Bali using Visa on Arrival this year are being cautioned about visa scams that prey on tourists. Upon arrival, an AUD 50 Visa on Arrival must be purchased to depart the airport in Indonesia. However, some tourists purchase their visas online from the official website of the Indonesian government before they arrive. At least, they believed they had, before realising it was a fake website.
Scammers have replicated the Indonesian government’s website, which allows visitors to prepay for their electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VoA) to overcharge or outright scam, unsuspecting tourists.
Some Australian tourists have paid a higher fee because they discovered too late that the fake website they clicked on differed from the official visa website run by the Indonesian government. It was discovered later that they had inadvertently employed a company that helped them buy the visas through the official website.
As a result, victims arriving in Bali will have no way to enter the country and must wait in line to get the right visa.
The Indonesian government has begun to pay attention. An investigation into a website that could have confused tourists applying for electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VoA) was announced by Indonesia’s Immigration Directorate General at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in December.
Travellers Interim Immigration Director General Widodo Ekatjahjana warned travellers that while Indonesia eVoA https://www.indonesia-evoa.com was among the top Google searches, it was not the official website for Indonesian visa, and using it would be far more expensive than using the official government website.
“Foreigners are asked to be cautious of fake websites offering visa services,” Ekatjahjana stated.
“Like the payment mechanism for the real e-VoA, foreigners can make payments on these fake websites through a payment gateway mechanism. As a reminder, molina.imigrasi.go.id is the only official website for e-VOA applications.” Ekatjahjana explained.
Another fake website which imitates the Indonesian government’s official website includes:
- indonesiavoa.vfsevisa.id
- indonesiavisitorvisa.com
Click here to find more information about extending your VoA
Interested about this topic? Check out our other articles:
- 92 Nations Now Eligible for Indonesia Visa on Arrival
- Multiple-Entry Visa to Indonesia: Now Eligible for All Expats
