Scammers use bots to reserve slots at visa centers and sell tickets to Russians for between 4,000 and 7,500 rubles. Bots increase visitor costs, create additional delays in obtaining visas.
The bot services are being promoted on specialized travel forums and listing sites, Kommersant reported.
Problems with bots arise not only in European destinations, but they are also used to make an appointment to apply for a visa to the United States in third countries, for example, in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia and the United Arab Emirates. Due to this, the filing of documents drags on for six months or more.
The Russian authorities’ ability to combat such practices is limited and the consulates’ efforts are not yet bearing fruit, the experts noted. The legislation does not contemplate responsibility for the creation of bots if they “have no signs of a virus.”
In January, the consulates of European countries stopped issuing Schengen visas to Russians for a period of more than a year. This was the result of the abolition of the simplified visa regime between Russia and the EU countries.
The simplified visa regime between Russia and EU countries has been suspended since September 2022. The visa fee has more than doubled to 80 euros, and the application processing time has tripled to 45 days.
Russians can obtain a Schengen tourist visa through the consulates of Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Switzerland, Spain, France, Croatia.
Author:
karina pardaeva
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
