How Immigration Scams Work
The imposters claim to be from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
They may say something like:
• Your immigration status is about to be revoked.
• You failed to pay a required fee.
• You are about to be arrested/deported.
• Your business license/driver license is about to be suspended.
They are confident. Sometimes aggressive. And they’ve been practicing. Some even spoof caller ID to make the screen say “USCIS” or “U.S. Government.” It looks real. It’s not.
AI Has Made These Scams Worse
Scammers have leaned more heavily into AI tools over the past year to make their schemes work. They’ve created fake social media profiles en masse, hosted Zoom calls complete with AI-generated video depicting humans talking, and used fear of immigration enforcement as bait. None of that would be nearly so scalable or inexpensive to operate without the rise of generative AI tools that are freely available to anyone with a laptop.
Miami immigration attorney Angel Leal learned last October that scammers were using his name, photograph, and even his signature to assure immigrants he was legally representing them. He hadn’t met any of them. Other fraudsters set up fake Zoom meetings depicting AI-generated video of Leal to stage immigration hearings well enough to convince people he was there to help. Today, Leal has people answering calls from victims every day of the week. He hired an anti- piracy firm to try to take down the knockoffs. In June, that firm identified over 6,600 fraudulent videos and social media profiles featuring Leal’s persona. For everyone they get down, multiple others pop back in his place.
Leal is far from the only person dealing with this problem. The American Immigration Lawyers Association says its branding has been stolen as well. It likens stopping them to playing whack a mole.
The Response So Far
The government is fighting back, too. DHS announced earlier this month that it was waging an “all-out war” on immigration scams. They’ve tracked fraudulent operations via URL registrations, WhatsApp account information and payment gateway receipts. That came after ProPublica published reporting about fraud complaints to DHS that have nearly doubled since immigration enforcement intensified under the current administration. Those complaints include victims who were scammed out of their entire savings, failed to show up for their real immigration hearings after paying to attend fake ones and were deported because of a scam.
Lawyers are waging a similar battle one client at a time. They’ve hired intel firms to track down offending material, sent targeted warnings to clients and coordinated with state bar associations and immigration advocacy groups to stay ahead of scams. It’s tedious, rarely glamorous work. But it’s happening.
How to Protect Yourself
- The government will never call you to demand payment using a prepaid credit card, cash app (such as Zelle or Venmo), or wire transfer. If they do, it’s a scam.
- Take a deep breath and think. Scammers are counting on you panicking and making a hasty decision. Hang up, take a breath, and call your lawyer or the agency’s official number (one that you verify yourself).
- If someone contacts you first via social media, WhatsApp, or an unsolicited video-chat, even if it looks and sounds like your family member or friend, be cautious.
- If someone claims to be from a well-known immigration law firm or advocacy group, double check with the firm or organization directly before sending money or giving out personal information.
- Report any instances any instances of an immigration scam you know of and speak with an immigration attorney before complying with any requests.
If you receive a call, text, or email that doesn’t seem right, please contact our office.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.