Islamabad (TDI): The High Commission of Canada in Pakistan has warned publicly of a scam going around in its name, using the Google Maps pin location of the High Commission.
The scammer has added a a fake WhatsApp number to the location and is demanding high sums between €250–€450 for visa appointments.
The High Commission, in a public post on social app X, clarified that it does not manage appointments through WhatsApp and does not even have an official WhatsApp number.
⚠️Scam Alert: Someone has added a fake WhatsApp number to our Google Maps pin & is demanding €250–€450 for “appointments.”
The name used is Rana Usman Khalid.
The High Commission of Canada does NOT charge for appointments & does NOT use WhatsApp to schedule appointments.(1/2)🧵— Canada in Pakistan (@CanHCPakistan) November 18, 2025
The High Commission even named the person who is running the scam; someone called Rana Usman Khalid. The post also said that there are no charges for visa appointments; they are free of cost.
“Please contact us only through our official email and approved phone numbers on travel.gc.ca” it said.
While the High Commission did not reveal if any action is being taken to trace the scammer and bring him to account, it is reasonable to assume that a formal complaint must have been lodged by the Canadian mission.
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Scams like this are not unusual and they frequently target the visa and immigration structures. The country’s Interior Ministry and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have recently amped up crackdown on human trafficking networks.
The Diplomatic Insight (TDI) is committed to supporting diplomatic missions disseminate correct information and counter scams. Our platform continues to spread awareness of visa processes and amplify diplomatic missions’ efforts by sharing information across our social platforms.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
