US Embassy cancels 2,000 visa appointments made by bots

The United States Embassy in India on Wednesday said it cancelled about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots, or software applications that simulate human activity online.

“We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies,” the embassy said in a post on X.

It added that it would suspend the scheduling privileges of the accounts concerned.

“We will continue our anti-fraud efforts,” said the embassy. “We have zero tolerance for fraud.”

Consular Team India is canceling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies. pic.twitter.com/ypakf99eCo— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 26, 2025

The development came nearly a month after the Delhi Police Crime Branch booked several visa and passport agents for allegedly fraudulent activities based on a complaint by the US Embassy, ANI reported. Most of the agents allegedly operated from Punjab and Haryana.

The case was filed on February 27 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections pertaining to cheating and forgery, as well as provisions of the Information Technology Act pertaining to impersonation.

The embassy said in its complaint that the agents were involved in submitting false information in visa applications and giving fake documents to applicants, ANI reported.

“During the period from May to August 2024, our office conducted relevant investigations and compiled a...

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