BBB Warns Of Potential Immigration Scams

With the current immigration flap in the U.S., such as in Georgia over the implementation of H.B. 87, entrepreneurial scam artists have identified a new source of revenue.

According to the Better Business Bureau, a rapidly growing area of fraud in the U.S. involves taking advantage of those needing help with the immigration process.

Joe Kernan, community relations officer for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, said that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services launched a campaign with the U.S. Department of Justice, Homeland Security and the Federal Trade Commission to help immigrants avoid being fooled by scams. The initiative, "The Wrong Help Can Hurt," provides immigrants with the information needed to make better decicsions on legal, financial and other matters. 

“We are talking to immigrants and refugees about who can give proper advice, and what to do if you’ve been ripped off, Kernan said.

Kernan does regular community outreach within the four states he is assigned by the United States Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS). 

According to the USCIS's "The Wrong Hurt Can Help Campaign," going to the wrong place for help can delay your application or petition, cost you unnecessary fees and possibly lead to removal proceedings.  

“Although we haven’t yet had specific reports of this from our consumers in the local area, the press release was sent out nationwide by the BBB,” said Dottie Callina, a spokeswoman for the BBB in the metro Atlanta area. “We wanted to send this out as a warning to our consumers in the 42 counties we serve in Georgia.”

Callina said the FTC was the lead agency requesting the information be made known to the public.

“We often forget just what it means to have driver’s license and social security card. Unfortunately, the scammers of the world haven’t forgotten,” BBB officials said in a press release. “The common thread in this type of fraud involves the unauthorized practice of immigration law. Whenever the BBB is represented on Spanish-language media stations, for example, numerous calls are received from listeners and viewers who repeat stories of being victimized by people claiming that they were authorized to provide immigration and naturalization services; that they were affiliated with the U.S. government; and that the fees paid by consumers would cover all the costs associated with submitting immigration documents to the proper U.S. authority.”

According to the BBB, callers are reluctant to file complaints against the scammers for fear of being noticed by actual immigration authorities and non-English speaking people are traditionally at a higher risk of being targets of scams. Officials report it is those who are trying to do the right thing who are more likely to be the victims. In turning to these scam artists they face not just a huge loss of time and money, but also increase their risk of being detained or deported by U.S. officials. The BBB is advising their consumers to follow these tips provided by the FTC to avoid becoming a victim of immigration services scams:

• Don't go to a notario, notario público, or a notary public for legal advice. In the U.S., notarios are not lawyers: they can't give you legal advice or talk to government agencies for you, like the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). A notary public doesn't have to be a lawyer either, and is not allowed to give you legal advice.

• Never pay for blank government forms. Government forms are free, though you'll probably have to pay when you submit them to USCIS. You can get free immigration forms at www.uscis.gov/forms, by calling USCIS at 1-800-870-3676, or by visiting your local USCIS office.

• Get immigration information from U.S. government websites. Some scammers set up websites that look like they are run by the government, but they aren't. Make sure that the website that looks like a government site is a dot gov (.gov). That means it is from the U.S. government.

• Don't let anyone keep your original documents, like your birth certificate or passport. Scammers may keep them until you pay to get them back.

• Never sign a form before it has been filled out, or a form that has false information in it. Never sign a document that you don't understand.

• Keep a copy of every form that you submit, as well as every letter from the government about your application or petition.

• You will get a receipt from USCIS when you turn in your paperwork. Keep it! It proves that USCIS received your application or petition. You will need the receipt to check on the status of your application, so be sure you get a copy.

Visit www.ftc.gov for more information. Read USCIS's list of common scams to avoid becoming a victim.