Safety · 8 min
How to spot a fraudulent study-abroad consultant
Red flags, verification steps, and a call script Indian students can use before paying any retainer to a study-abroad agency.
Hard stop signs
Walk away if they ask you to pay in cash with no receipt, promise a visa, ask you to sign a blank form, or refuse to name the university until after payment. Fake "British Council authorised" certificates and photocopied MARA or ICCRC cards are common. Verify numbers on the official registers yourself.
A 15-minute verification
Google the GST number, visit the office, call the phone listed on Kohinooor, and ask for two students who went last year to your destination. Compare fees in writing from three agencies. If the cheapest offer is half the others, read the exclusions. Visa filing, SOP, and interview prep are often billed later.
Next step: browse consultants in your city and compare three agencies with this checklist in hand.