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General News of Tuesday, 26 April 2005

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Internet Fraud Forces US Embassy Close Down

A tip-off to the United States has revealed that the on-line application system introduced by the Embassy recently has become a victim of internet fraud.

The tip-off also revealed that some unscrupulous people are cashing in on the ignorance of prospective travellers and charging them between 200 and 250 dollars to book appointments for them online.

Speaking in an interview, the public affairs officer of the US embassy in Accra, Susan Parker Burns, said the online system was rather meant to remove the usual inconveniences to prospective travellers who could now sit in the comfort of their homes and offices and transact business with the Embassy.

She noted that it was rather unfortunate that the system has become a victim of internet fraud. On whether there will be any compensation for people who have been innocently inconvenienced by the latest arrangements, she said there will be no need for that since those who have appointments will be attended to, but added that those who have paid monies to these people for appointments may be affected. She assured prospective travellers who already have appointments that the situation will normalized soon.