Whenever there is conversation about Second citizenship, the first thing is choosing the right Citizenship by Investment agent. In a world where ‘rip off’ has become the order of the day, your search for acquiring your dual citizenship or second passport can become the worst nightmare of your life if you get caught by immigration scammers. Scammers are out there in every industry and it might be difficult to avoid them if the right caution is not taken. Citizenship-by-investment fraud is when a company or individual pretends to be an authorized agent of the government to sell you government-approved investment packages that do not exist. These fake companies collect processing fees, security deposits, and application fees before you identify them as scammers. In this case, you need to be extra careful while making the most substantial financial transaction of your life. Keep reading to discover those warning signs before your next meeting with a Citizenship-by-investment agent.

Choosing the right Citizenship by investment agent, how to identify the best?

1. Check if the company is listed on the government website as an authorized agent

Investment scammers are a very smart set of people and it takes a smart person to identify them. You won’t see it written on their faces nor would they do anything suspicious. The intention of every scammer is to rip you off, so they play their cards properly. Whether you want to acquire your second citizenship in Dominica or St. Kitts, before proceeding with the investment options, ensure to check if the company is listed on the government website as an authorized agent. This will not only help you to avoid being scammed but you’ll be rest assured of doing business with the right agent.  

2. Check if there are trusted and referred by the government

The immigration and investment industry has been saturated with unreliable companies. Sometimes they are registered with a well-furnished office, full of well-dressed workers. But has the company ever conducted a successful business transaction? Because you are about to commit your hard-earned money into the hands of a stranger, ask a lot of questions and if possible, request to see the proof of their past businesses and photos with the government delegations. If the company or agent can’t provide any of this information, chances are that you are about to be scammed.

3. Check if they have a good online reputation:

Another place to find out more information about the investment company that you are about to do business with is online. Checking the company’s social media pages will give you a clearer view of what there have been doing. From Facebook, Instagram to Twitter, read their social media post and comments to understand what people are saying. Although online comments and reviews can be manipulated, it’s also a good idea to go through their Google reviews (if they have any) to look out for anything negative about them. If you find out any negative reviews, try to reach out to the reviewer to get more details and by doing so, you would be certain about your next step.

3. Check if the company has a global presence:

You can’t compare a company whose wings have been spread everywhere, to a mushroom brand that just started operations locally. With offices in different countries, not only has the company already positioned itself at the top, it’s a confirmation that the brand is well-established. Try finding out the other addresses of the company in other countries and if possible send someone to the address just to be sure that the offices actually exist.  

4. Pre-check your application for a high probability of success

Pre-checking your citizen-by-investment application before the submission is very vital. In fact, it’s like checking your car engine in the morning whether it sounds good and ready to hit the road. This will enable you to spot any error or missing documents that may ruin your chance of securing your dream second passport. For the best practices, create a checklist and tick out what is missing and what needs to be added.

5. Other things to take notes of:

• Don’t ever go blind on online reputation as many scammers use marketing tips to establish a good reputation on Google.
• Before you chose an agent, ask for his/her license.
• An experienced and authentic citizenship-by-investment agent will have a lot of photos to show. Don’t ignore this.
• Also, look for the track record of the agent. Don’t just rely on the testimonials placed on their blogs because it can be deceiving.
• Fake agents are focused on ripping you off, so they will keep asking for money. Keep this in mind.
• And more so, any authorized Citizenship-by-Investment company is listed on the government website. You can view the Government Authorized agents on the official website of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU).