CAMEROON VISA FRAUD: NOT ENOUGH HANDCUFFS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001269 SIPDIS SIPDIS FRANKFURT FOR RCO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS ASEC KFRD CMGT ECON PHUM KPAO CM SUBJECT: CAMEROON VISA FRAUD: NOT ENOUGH HANDCUFFS ¶1. (U) Summary: Three recently uncovered visa scams highlight the ongoing efforts of malafide Cameroonian travelers to emigrate illegally to the United States. Excellent support from the Regional Security Office, collaboration with local law enforcement and vigilance by consular employees are key elements of post's efforts to combat this threat. Ubiquitous fraud and corruption are driving the NIV refusal rate higher, reducing the scope for commercial, educational and cultural exchange. End Summary. Scam # 1 - The Unfamiliar Courier ================================= ¶2. (U) Yaounde's consular section was recently visited by an individual bearing a diplomatic passport from the Central African Republic (CAFR) who claimed to be from their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He submitted what turned out to be two more photo-substituted CAFR passports under cover of a diplomatic note and mission orders. The visa clerk accepting the application identified discrepancies between the documents and those normally found, and an investigation ensued. Post succeeded in having the "courier" return - whereupon he was arrested by local authorities, being found in possession of a series of falsified stamps, and a paper showing his practice forgeries. Scam # 2 - The Old Fashioned Identity Swap ========= ================================ ¶3. (U) Post benefited from technological advances in biometric identification, which helped us intercept a gentleman who had successfully shed his real identity and obtained a full set of legitimately issued identity documents showing him to be an established businessman. After obtaining a confession, post is gathering information about the source of his documentation. Scam # 3 - The World Traveler ============================= ¶4. (U) During the normal NIV intake procedure, a sharp-eyed fraud investigator/NIV clerk became suspicious of two individuals and flagged their passports for extra scrutiny. Local staff quickly determined that the South African visas in the passport were fraudulent, and later learned that approximately a dozen other visa foils and stamps had been falsified - including those from Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Consular colleagues at relevant embassies were alerted to the incident. The following day a second pair, posing as a couple, appeared with virtually identical passports and were similarly intercepted. On our encouragement, local authorities have sent agents to Douala, Cameroon's commercial center, to attempt to arrest the source of these visas, and are making progress to that end. Unfortunately a CCD text search revealed that these were not the first clients of this visa-fixer. Detect and Deter, With Help from RSO ================= ================== ¶5. (U) Post has made efforts to emphasize and publicize the importance of honesty in the visa process - with apparently limited impact. In a bid to strengthen that message, we have adopted a standard practice of orchestrating the arrest of malafide applicants in view of those in the consular waiting room. An announcement is subsequently made to the crowd reassuring them of their own safety, and explaining that the individual in question had presented documents in violation of both U.S. and Cameroonian law. Applicants contemplating doing the same are urged to reconsider their actions and abandon their applications, which a few have elected to do. ¶6. (U) Yaounde's Consular section has benefited greatly from a skilled and supportive Regional Security Office that has dedicated time and expertise to visa investigations, coordination with host country law enforcement, and professional development of post's two fraud investigators. This team has helped improve the knowledge of skills of all consular staff, and works with a range of experts in other embassies' consular sections and the airlines to stay current with fraud trends. Comment and Recommendation ========================== ¶7. (U) While Yaounde is fortunate to have excellent resources to utilize in our battle against fraudulent applications, the recent rash of arrests underlines the fact that visa fraud is commonplace, sophisticated and often successful. Moreover, YAOUNDE 00001269 002 OF 002 an increasing number of requests for investigation of asylum cases by the Department of Homeland Security and DRL are being handled by the RSO office. The fact that not one of these investigations has revealed a bonafide claim makes it abundantly clear that large numbers of Cameroonians from virtually every demographic are making falsified asylum claims - often after obtaining an NIV through misrepresentation. While post will continue to make every effort to properly identify legitimate business travelers, students and other visitors, we anticipate a continued rise in the refusal rate of first-time applicants, and a resulting negative impact on exchanges of all sorts. Likewise, post has seen files from many dubious asylum recipients who resided temporarily in Europe or elsewhere, and would encourage other embassies dealing with Cameroonian applicants to take particular care in handling these cases in light of these observations. GARVEY