The European Union (EU) office has issued a “scam alert” to warn Pakistanis about “criminal organisations” spreading misleading information about visa and consular appointments via fake entries of embassies and telephone numbers.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan stated that its “diplomatic missions in Islamabad have observed fake entries for Member States embassies in Google Maps, with misleading information about visa and consular appointments, including fake telephone numbers”.

“This is a serious scam by criminal organisations,” warned the office, stressing that citizens should only rely on authentic information and contact data available on the websites of the EU member states’ embassies.

“The EU Delegation would like to stress that only the websites of EU Member States Embassies provide authentic information and contact data for all visa and consular issues of the respective countries, not entries in Google Maps or in other embassy directories,” it concluded.

According to the EU official website, the border-free Schengen Area provides free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, as well as to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU territory.

It also highlighted that the EU Delegation to Pakistan does not issue passports or visas as they are issued by the embassy and/or consulate of each individual member state.

It noted that Pakistani citizens require a Schengen visa for travelling in the Schengen area counties and a National visa for travelling to the EU member states outside the Schengen zone.

“At present, the Schengen Area comprises of most of the EU Member States, except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. However, Bulgaria and Romania are currently in the process of joining the Schengen Area.”

Of non-EU states, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have joined the Schengen area and Liechtenstein is expected to join soon.

The Schengen visa entitles the visitor to enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone.

The office advised Pakistanis to contact the relevant embassy or consulate in the country for obtaining the required visa of their travel destination in Europe.