Cheated by a travel or immigration agent in Punjab? Here is what to do

Quick answer. If a travel or immigration agent in Punjab has cheated you, act fast: stop any further payment, gather every receipt, message and document as evidence, and file a written complaint with your district police (or the cybercrime portal / helpline 1930 if you paid online). For overseas-job fraud, complain on the MEA eMigrate portal; for a consumer dispute, the National Consumer Helpline (1915). Check whether the agent's state licence is even valid on the official register — many are unlicensed or cancelled.

First, before anything else

Stop any pending or "final" payment immediately — a common tactic is asking for one more instalment. Do not hand over more original documents. Write down a plain timeline of what happened, with dates and amounts. Preserve every piece of evidence: receipts, bank/UPI transaction IDs, the written contract or offer, WhatsApp and SMS chats (do not delete them), visiting cards, and any signed forms. Evidence is what turns a complaint into an FIR.

Where to file a complaint

Report to your district police — many Punjab districts have registered FIRs against fraudulent agents, and the District Magistrate who issues travel-agent licences can act on a cancellation. If you paid online or by UPI, use the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal or call the cyber-fraud helpline 1930 as soon as possible — fast reporting improves the chance of freezing the money. For a service/consumer dispute (money taken, service not delivered) approach the National Consumer Helpline (1915) or a district consumer forum. The Punjab NRI Affairs department runs a dedicated channel for NRI and travel-agent grievances.

If it was an overseas-job (recruitment) fraud

Sending people abroad for work is regulated separately, under the central Emigration Act, by the Ministry of External Affairs. If an agent took money for a foreign job, file on the MEA eMigrate grievance portal — and remember that a legitimate overseas-employment recruiter must hold a valid MEA Recruiting Agent registration, which is different from the Punjab state travel-agent licence.

Use the register as evidence

Check the agent on the official register here. If their state licence is expired, cancelled, or the agency is not listed at all, that is a concrete fact to cite in your complaint — see the cancelled-licence list for your district. Recepta is not a government body and cannot recover money for you, but every listing links the official government source you can quote to the police or a consumer forum.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my money back from a fraudulent agent?

There is no guarantee, but fast action helps. If you paid online, reporting to the cybercrime helpline 1930 within a few hours gives the best chance of freezing the transfer. An FIR plus a consumer-forum case is the usual route to recovery; keep every receipt and message as evidence.

The agent is not listed on the register at all — does that matter?

Yes. A travel or study-visa agent in Punjab is meant to hold a state licence under the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act. Operating without one, or with a cancelled licence, is itself a fact you can raise with the district administration and police.

Who regulates overseas-job agents versus study-visa agents?

Overseas-employment recruitment is regulated centrally by the MEA under the Emigration Act (complaints go to the eMigrate portal). Travel, study-visa, IELTS and ticketing work is regulated by the Punjab state licence issued by the District Magistrate.

Sources

Browse agents: Jalandhar register · Moga register · Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) register

Find licensed help: Immigration & visa consultants · Search the register

Reviewed against official government sources; figures that change (fees, fund thresholds) are dated and linked — always verify at the source. — Recepta Editorial.

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Last updated: 2026-07-13