The Regional Security Officer at the United States Embassy in Uganda, James Bloomer, has revealed that 43 Ugandans were arrested at the Embassy attempting to apply for visas using forged documents.
While addressing media in Kampala on Monday, Bloomer advised Ugandans seeking US visas to work directly with the embassy and avoid using middlemen who turn out to be scammers.
“Since July of last year of 2025, we have had 43 people that have tried to use some sort of fake document to obtain a visa to go to the United States, those 43 people have been arrested” he said.
Bloomer noted that the 43 were handed over to Ugandan police for prosecution.
“Please do not show up with fake or false documents to obtain a visa” he warned.
Bloomer, further urged Ugandans to follow the recently released US Visa guidelines for Uganda, to avoid being scammed into paying for ghost visa bonds by fraudlent people.
“If you receive a visa, and you will be told after the interview whether or not you receive it, the person doing the interview will tell you how much you have to pay for the visa bond. Please do not pay for the visa bond before you receive the visa” he warned.
The Uganda Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke, revealed that visa fraud continues to affect many Ugandans seeking travel opportunities abroad.
“Many Ugandans are currently grappling with a wave of conmen and impersonators who present themselves as intermediaries or “fixers.” These criminals often pose as officials from government agencies, ministries, NGOs, banks, telecom companies, and other institutions” he said.
Kituuma further noted that visa fraud is part of a broader pattern of general fraud and impersonation offences that are increasingly being reported across the country.
