Convinced there’s an inside job/scam at Aus Gov Home Affairs website

1 pointsbenjamaan3y ago1 comments

tl;dr I’m convinced there’s an inside job at Aus Gov Home Affairs website to drive traffic to an overcharging agency

So I got caught up in some weird scammy feeling shit today. I needed to apply for ETA going to Australia and went to https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/

There’s an absurdly long loading animation on their website. So much so I went back to google search results due to impatience.

I was on a phone call at the time, so was only half paying attention.

I found myself on australiagovisa.com speeding through a breezy UX, and like a classic noob happily punching in my credit card details.

I was promptly registered and got my visa soon thereafter delivered by email.

My friend comes along to do the same and points out this website is dodgy AF and has no official tie to Aus Gov.

So I panic a bit and worry I’m scammed, but I manage to load Immi website and check that my visa is in fact valid.

Later that eve I get charged $99 - Aus ETA is free via Immi website.

I’m convinced the dev for Immi has setup a timed delay to drive traffic to this agency and make a killing off impatient idiots like me.

1 comments

1 comments · 1 top-level

DemocracyFTW23y ago

dude you don't stop talking to people on the phone when you apply for an overseas visa, get impatient, do google searches, click links, enter card details, everything, then come here to report you feel it's a foreign government's secretive collusion with some fee shark that got you into paying for what should be free?

Do one thing at a time man and pay attention before pointing fingers I say.

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