Venezuela and Colombia issue alerts over identity and passport scams

Government agencies in Venezuela and Colombia have issued warnings regarding phishing scams and fraudulent websites targeting citizens seeking official documentation.

In Venezuela, the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration, and Foreigners (Saime) alerted the public to fraudulent emails using the address ‘alerta@saime.gob.ve’. The agency clarified that this is not an official communication channel and warned users against interacting with links or attachments from this sender. Saime noted that no official department uses public domains such as @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com for identity procedures or payment requests.

Similarly, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) warned of a fraudulent website, ‘fraudulentomicancilleria.com’, which mimics the ministry’s visual identity. The site aims to collect personal data and charge fees for passport services. The ministry emphasized that its only authorized portal is www.cancilleria.gov.co and reminded citizens that passport issuance is a personal process that does not require third-party intermediaries or advance payments.