Consulate General of India
Chicago
Advisory on Fraud Calls

          It has been brought to the notice of the Consulate General of India, Chicago that some fraudsters are spoofing Consulate telephone lines to make calls aimed at cheating people. Some of these calls are shown as being from the Consulate telephone numbers (312-595-0405 & 312-595-0406) while others simply use Consulate identity. These fraudsters either seek personal information like credit card details etc. or try to extort money from Indian nationals by inter alia claiming that there are errors in their passports, visa forms, immigration forms etc. which could be rectified by paying money, and at the same time warning that the so called errors, if not rectified, could result in deportation of the individual to India or their imprisonment in USA. In some cases, these fraudsters have also falsely claimed that they received such privileged information from the Consulate/Embassy or other authorities in India. Visa applicants have also received such calls purporting to be from the Consulate/Embassy.

This is to confirm that no officials from the Consulate make any telephone calls seeking personal information from any Indian or foreign nationals. In case any additional documentation is required from an existing applicant, it is sought only through email(s) originating from the email domain @mea.gov.in.

The Consulate General of India, Chicago hereby advises members of the public not to entertain any suspicious telephone calls made in the name of Consulate General of India, Chicago. They are also advised not to reveal any personal information or transfer any money in response to such calls. They may bring such matters to the notice of the Consulate at the email hoc[dot]chicago[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in with a subject: INFORMATION ON SPOOFED CALLS

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