In a written response to Lusa, the visa processing center in Luanda, VFS, launched the alert and left several tips for those who want to travel to Portugal, at a time when there is an avalanche of requests.
In its response to Lusa, the company admitted that there are fraudsters who pretend to be employees of the organization, as well as agents and intermediaries who promise to advance appointments in exchange for money, deceiving visa applicants and travelers.
"Using location pins and information on the most popular social networks and search engines, many of these scammers create a false presence using company credentials, with official logos and names, and include their contact details in the details provided on these pages, deceiving travelers who confuse these details with the official presence of the company", he wrote.
VFS Global says that "it has already implemented strict measures in its Centers in Angola", allowing entry only to applicants with a valid appointment and not providing information to agents or third parties, having also provided an email for complaints (rsocza@vfsglobal.com)
Appointments open one month in advance, he added.
"While applicants can contact genuine travel agencies for assistance with their visa application, we caution them to be wary of agents and intermediaries who falsely promise advance bookings in exchange for payment. Scheduling is free and only available on the website ", warns VFS.
The Lusa agency questioned the Portuguese consulate in Luanda about the average number of visas requested and granted, as well as the duration of the process, but received no response.
VFS began operating in Angola in September 2012 and currently provides services to eight countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Belgium, France, South Africa and the Netherlands. The company only manages the administrative aspects of the processes and indicated that the procedures take an average of 15 days, but may take longer "according to the circumstances".
