Fact-check: Fake FIA account offers bogus pre-departure airport clearance

Online posts claim to offer international passengers travelling from Islamabad International Airport an online immigration clearance service one day before departure, suggesting that completing the process in advance can help them avoid delays at the airport.

The claim is false.

Claim

An Instagram account shared a graphic claiming that international passengers travelling from Islamabad International Airport must complete an “Airport Clearance” at least one day before their flight.

Using the name of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the graphic claimed that its pre-departure clearance service could help travellers avoid delays, inconvenience and possible immigration problems at the airport.

The post also provided a WhatsApp number, identifying it as the contact number of an FIA director, and urged passengers to use it for airport clearance and 24/7 support.

Fact

The service advertised in the post has no connection to the FIA and is fraudulent, according to agency officials. Immigration clearance is conducted at the airport at the time of departure.

FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar confirmed to Geo Fact Check that the post was fake. The spokesperson for the FIA Islamabad Zone, who asked not to be named, also confirmed this.

“This is impersonation and fake,” the spokesperson said, adding that the phone number provided does not belong to any FIA director.

The spokesperson said FIA immigration officials do not have a system allowing passengers to obtain clearance a day before their flight. Travellers undergo immigration clearance at the airport when they depart.

Geo Fact Check also contacted the number listed in the post. It remains active and uses the FIA’s logo as its WhatsApp profile picture, but no response was received to calls or messages from Geo Fact Check.

Verdict: The FIA has confirmed that it does not offer any pre-departure “airport clearance” service for international passengers. The post impersonates the agency, while the phone number listed does not belong to an FIA director.

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