Fake Work Permit Scams via Email
How fraudulent emails impersonating immigration authorities demand fees for fake work permit approvals, renewals, or expedited processing that do not exist.
Part of: Fake Work Permit Scams
Last reviewed: 9 June 2026
Email-based work permit scams differ from their phone-call counterparts in a critical dimension: they can include forged official documents. A well-designed email containing a fake work permit approval letter, a government logo, and a plausible case number is far more convincing to a recipient than a phone call with no visual verification possible.
The email format allows scammers to create entire fraudulent correspondence sequences that mimic the genuine approval process: an initial eligibility notice, a conditional approval, and a final processing fee request — each arriving days apart to simulate the natural pace of real administrative processing.
For immigrants who have previously received genuine immigration correspondence by email, the format of a fake communication may be entirely indistinguishable without careful domain verification.
How this scam works on email
An email arrives bearing government logos and formatted to resemble official immigration authority correspondence. It states that the recipient's work permit application has been reviewed and conditionally approved, subject to payment of a processing fee or security deposit. A payment link or bank transfer details are provided.
Alternatively, the email claims a current work permit will expire or be cancelled unless a renewal fee is paid within a short window. The sender's email address closely resembles an official government domain but uses a slight variation, a different top-level domain, or a sub-domain that mimics the real address.
After payment, the 'approval' letter proves fraudulent when the recipient attempts to use it, or the email address becomes unresponsive before any document is delivered.
Common red flags
- Email from an apparent immigration authority requests a fee payment to finalise a work permit approval
- Sender email address uses a domain that mimics but does not precisely match the official government domain
- Approval is conditional on immediate payment with no opportunity to verify through official channels first
- Attached approval documents cannot be independently verified through the official immigration authority portal
- Payment requested by bank transfer, wire, or gift card rather than through the official government payment portal
- Urgency: permit will be cancelled or revoked if payment is not received within hours or days
How to protect yourself
- Verify any claimed work permit status by logging directly into the official immigration authority portal using your own bookmark
- Government agencies process fees through official online payment portals — not through bank transfers in emails
- Contact the immigration authority directly using a number from their official website to verify any claimed status change
- Check email sender domains extremely carefully — single character differences are commonly used
- Never pay immigration fees in response to an email request without independently confirming the fee is real
How to report it
- Report to USCIS at uscis.gov/report-immigration-scam (US) or the relevant authority in your country
- File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk
- Report the phishing email to your email provider and to [email protected] (UK) or [email protected] (US)
Frequently asked questions
Can a government agency send a work permit approval by email?
Some immigration authorities do send notifications by email, but official approvals are confirmed through the secure case status portal and by official postal correspondence. Any email requesting payment as a condition of permit finalisation should be verified through the official portal before any action is taken.