What kind of scams target members of immigrant communities?
Recent immigrants seeking residency or citizenship are often preyed upon by criminals who steal from them through a variety of schemes. For example, deceitful attorneys or individuals purporting to be attorneys may demand sums of money in exchange for services they do not intend to provide or are not licensed to provide. Other examples of common scams targeting recent immigrants may include:
- Individuals or immigration service providers, who represent themselves to be attorneys or who provide legal advice when they are not licensed attorneys;
- Individuals who pretend to be ICE agents and purport to offer special treatment or services;
- Individuals or businesses that promise immigrants work visas they cannot provide;
- Construction companies that hire immigrants to work on government funded projects but do not pay them the salary required by law;
- Individuals who provide false investment opportunities or engage in pyramid schemes;
- Individuals who produce and sell fraudulent social security cards, licenses, passports and other documents;
- Individuals or businesses that offer housing and other services but just take your money and disappear.
I’m undocumented. Can I still file a report?
Absolutely. Our Office is a safe place to report crime regardless of your immigration status.