The European Union (EU) office in Pakistan has issued a “scam alert” warning about “criminal organisations” targeting Pakistanis with false information regarding visa and consular appointments, involving fake listings of embassies and incorrect phone numbers on Google Maps.
In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), the EU Delegation to Pakistan confirmed that its “diplomatic missions in Islamabad have observed fake entries for Member States embassies in Google Maps, with misleading information about visa and consular appointments, including fake telephone numbers.”
The EU office cautioned citizens to rely only on official information and contact details available on the embassies’ websites, stressing that Google Maps and other directories are not trustworthy sources for visa and consular information.
“The EU Delegation would like to stress that only the websites of EU Member States Embassies provide authentic information and contact data for all visa and consular issues of the respective countries, not entries in Google Maps or in other embassy directories,” it concluded.
For travel within the Schengen Area, Pakistani citizens need a Schengen visa, while a National visa is required for other EU countries outside the Schengen zone.
The EU also explained that while most EU member states are part of the Schengen Area, some, like Bulgaria and Romania, are in the process of joining.
Non-EU countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland are part of the Schengen Area, with Liechtenstein expected to join soon.
The EU urged Pakistanis seeking visas to contact the relevant embassy or consulate directly to ensure they are receiving accurate and authentic information for their travels.
