Fake visa website targets Bangladesh applicants through mobile-wallet payments

A fake Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) website targeted applicants in Bangladesh, tricking them into authorizing access to mobile wallets, according to a Dismislab investigation reported Wednesday by The Business Standard.

Fraudulent text messages urged applicants to verify appointment slots. The imitation site requested personal information and presented a payment prompt that instead linked users’ bKash accounts to a merchant platform.

That account-binding authorization allowed repeated deductions without further verification, investigators found. In one documented case, 10 transactions drained money within a minute.

A bKash spokesman said account binding is a legitimate convenience feature but warned customers against unknown links and unverified payment gateways.

IVAC says no additional verification fee is required to confirm appointments. Investigators urged applicants to check website addresses, read authorization messages carefully, and access official services directly instead of following unsolicited links.