If you are a migrant, avoid falling into the hands of bogus managers, make sure that the attorney assisting you in the United States is collegial and truly competent.

If you have been a victim of immigration scams, you can report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission or file a complaint in your state, inviting the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The entity emphasizes that reporting scams will not affect your immigration application or petition.

Criminals masquerade as immigration lawyers and judges to defraud migrants in the United States

What are the most common immigration scams in the United States

In a first part, the USCIS highlights the scams targeting nationals and close relatives who profit from the trials for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.

It states that the beneficiaries under the processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans “are not required to pay, repay, work, serve, marry, or compensate their supporting person in exchange for said person holding Form I -134A, on your behalf or for providing financial assistance while you are in the United States.”

Know that access to these processes is free. “Neither the supporting person nor the beneficiary is obligated to pay the United States government any compensation in any part of this process.”

Protect yourself – they ask – against potential scam or exploitation by anyone requesting money in connection with the application under this process. DHS recommends the following actions:

Job offer scams

“Beware of companies that offer you a job in the United States from abroad or through the mail.”

If you receive a job offer in the mail before you leave your country and come to the United States, it could be a scam, especially if you’re being asked for money in exchange for a job offer, the USCIS warns.

Even if a job offer is legitimate, “you may not work in the United States unless you have a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) (work permit) or a work-related visa that allows you to employer to work.”

Some tips to avoid scams when processing immigration documents in the United States

Human trafficking

Faced with this crime, the USCIS reveals: If you have witnessed or experienced this type of abuse, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. Learn more about human trafficking in the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign.

Social network scams

This section opens a very large possibility of fraud. Some social media pages, email offers, and websites claiming to be affiliated with USCIS may be fake.

“Make sure the website or email address ends in .gov. USCIS social networks are Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn,” they emphasize.

Don’t fall for phone or email payments

USCIS claims it will “never ask you to transfer money to anyone.”

Their website states, “We do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, Paypal, or gift cards as payment for immigration fees.”

And they add that some immigration fees can be canceled online, but only if you pay through your online USCIS account and Pay.gov.

This is the new job scam in the United States defrauding Latino migrants in Mexico

Report immigration scams

USCIS indicates in its Reporting Immigration Scams section that it was able to collect state and territory information from official government websites for all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Check out their website what else you can do if you find yourself in a situation like the one indicated here. read here

Read what the USCIS says here to learn more about scams