Check an agency before paying

An “assured” visa, job or admission is the most common sign of a scam: here is how to check before you pay.

Warning signs

A visa, job or admission that is “assured” — No agency decides in place of a consulate, an employer or a school. Any promise of a result is a warning sign.
A payment to a personal number, with no receipt — A payment must go to details published by the organisation, give rise to a named receipt and remain traceable.
An invented emergency — “Only one place left”, “pay today or lose your file”: the pressure is meant to stop you from checking.
No written contract or quote — What is sold, its price, what is included and the cancellation terms must be in writing before any payment.
No verifiable address — A serious agency has a physical address, a legal registration you can look up and people you can reach.
A job offer with no identified employer — If you cannot contact the employer through an official channel, pay nothing: the offer cannot be verified.
Fees “to speed things up” at a consulate — Official fees are published by the authority. An intermediary cannot buy faster processing or a favourable decision.
A request for your logins or codes received by SMS — Nobody needs your passwords or verification codes to prepare your file.

Check the legal registration — Ask for the company name and registration number, then look them up on your country’s official business register. Names and numbers must match the documents you are given.
Visit in person or by video call — Visit the agency or ask for a video call. A real organisation agrees to introduce itself and answer your questions.
Require a written quote and contract — The document sets out the services, the price, what third parties charge, the steps and the conditions for stopping. Do not pay before reading it.
Pay by a traceable method and get a receipt — Pay to the organisation’s official details and obtain a named receipt with your reference. Keep all the evidence.
Cross-check with official sources — Visa conditions, fees and timelines are checked on consulate, ministry or immigration-service websites. If the agency contradicts the official source, believe the source.
Contact the school or employer yourself — Find their contact details through an official directory, not through the link the agency gives you, and confirm that the admission or offer exists.

Required documents and information are confirmed based on destination and procedure.
Decisions by employers, partner agencies and competent authorities are not guaranteed by 3M TRAVEL AGENCY.
Sensitive actions are controlled by an authorized person.