UK Work Visa Scam Bangladesh — How to Spot Fake CoS Schemes

UK Work Visa Scam Bangladesh — How to Spot Fake CoS Schemes

In early 2026, investigations revealed agents in Bangladesh charging up to £13,000 for fabricated Certificates of Sponsorship — electronic records that were either stolen, forged, or obtained through corrupt employers. The applicants who used these CoS numbers faced refusal, lost their application fees, and some received 10-year bans under paragraph 9.7.1.

The agents faced no immigration consequences. The applicants bore all the risk.

Scam 1: Fake Certificate of Sponsorship

An agent claims to have a UK employer willing to sponsor you. They charge BDT 100,000 to 500,000 to "arrange" the sponsorship. They may provide a CoS reference number that is fake, stolen, or belongs to someone else.

How to spot it:

• You have never interviewed with the employer
• The employer is not on the Register of Licensed Sponsors at gov.uk
• The agent asks for payment before any interview or offer letter
• Communication comes from Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail — not a company domain
• The "employer" cannot provide a Companies House registration number

Scam 2: Employee Registration Fees

After receiving a job offer (legitimate or fake), someone contacts you claiming you must pay an "employee registration fee," "visa processing deposit," or "work permit reservation charge."

There is no such fee. The British High Commission in Dhaka has explicitly stated this. The visa fee is paid through gov.uk. The employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge and CoS fee. There is no intermediary payment at any stage.

Scam 3: Agent-Provided Documents

An agent offers to "prepare" your bank statements, work experience letters, or certificates with fabricated or inflated content.

UKVI employs specialised document verification units for Bangladesh. They know what genuine attestation stamps look like, they know legitimate bank formats, and they compare documents against databases of known fraudulent templates.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Verify every employer on the Register of Licensed Sponsors before engaging
2. Never pay for a CoS — no legitimate employer charges you for sponsorship
3. Never submit documents you did not create yourself
4. Cross-reference job listings with the company's official website
5. Report scams to Action Fraud and the British High Commission in Dhaka

The Bangladesh to UK Skilled Worker Guide exists so you can self-file without an agent. Every step from document authentication to VFS logistics is documented with the exact fees, office addresses, and timeline management strategy.

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