Pinay travel consultant admits selling fake e-visas to vacationers in UAE

A 25-year-old Filipina travel consultant on Thursday pleaded guilty before a United Arab Emirates court to selling faked e-visas to potential vacationers wanting to visit Dubai.

She was accused of embezzling some Dh64,000 (P774,176) by faking the e-visas and emailing them, UAE news site Gulf News reported.

“Yes, I forged the visas and took the money for myself,” she told presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.

A ruling is expected on May 28.

Prosecutors said the Filipina printed out authentic tourism visa forms obtained from Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs online system.

She then made photocopies and tampered with the tourists’ details on them, then sent them to potential tourists.

The Filipina was then accused of keeping the money sent by the potential tourists who thought the visas were authentic.

Business partner

An Indian business partner in the agency where the Filipina worked told prosecutors they learned about the Filipina's activity from two Filipino victims.

He said the tourists called them from the Philippines and told them the visas they bought were forged.

"Our records revealed (the Filipina) had issued those e-visas. Upon confronting her with the findings, she immediately confessed that she had forged visas and embezzled Dh64,000," he said.

Also, he said the Filipina admitted she "abused her duties and sold the forged visas and to cover up for her wrongdoing she also forged the receipts on (document) files."

"Thereafter we reported her to the police,” he said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

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