Urgent warning for Aussies travelling to Bali: ‘I haven’t slept all night’

Warnings of fake visa websites are being urgently issued to the tens of thousands of Australians who flock to Bali each month.

Authorities warn there are many websites which imitate the Indonesian government’s official website, where travellers can prepay their electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA).

Some travellers said they were charged much higher fees because they had unknowingly used an agency, which then assisted them to purchase the visa through the official site.

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But others warned they had purchased visas which were not valid, leaving them no choice but to buy an official visa at the airport.

A visa on arrival can also be bought for about $50 when travellers land in Bali.

Reports of the scam have flooded social media, with many detailing how they lost money to these fake pages.

“I haven’t slept all night as a family member sent us the (wrong) link, and we processed several applications and hence lost a lot of $,” one person posted on Reddit.

“I wished I saw this post before I clicked the website … they charged $133.34 from my debit card. I feel ashamed. I should have known better,” another added.

Another traveller said one of the fake websites is a top result on Google when you search for an Indonesian visa.

“The website is so misleading,” they said.

“I know better but, unfortunately, my elderly family members did not.”

The Indonesian government has also started to take note of the scam websites, warning travellers to only use its official website to organise visas.

“Beware of visa scamming and illicit websites that offer to provide electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA) to Indonesia. The official website for e-VOA is https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/” the government posted online.

Advice

The Australian government service Smartraveller has advice for obtaining an Indonesian visa.

“You can apply for an e-visa on arrival (e-VOA) no later than 48 hours prior to travelling to Indonesia, check the e-VOA requirements from Indonesian Immigration before applying,” it said.

“The e-VOA and VOA cost IDR 500,000 (approximately $A50), with the e-VOA charging a small online processing fee.”

Smartraveller also warns travellers about the consequences of falling victim to a visa scam.

“Avoid visa scams by applying for visas using links or organisations recommended by the embassy or consulate of the country you’re visiting (and) reading the travel advice for information on entry and exit requirements before you travel,” the website says.

“If you travel on a fake visa, you may be arrested, jailed, or deported on arrival.”

You can learn more about visa scams by visiting the Department of Home Affairs.