How To Protect New Immigrants From Scams

Immigration and visa scams

New arrivals are frequent targets because they're often still learning how official processes actually work, which scammers exploit by posing as border officials, immigration lawyers, or government representatives demanding urgent fees for visas, work permits, or supposed fines for paperwork errors. The call may spoof an official-looking number and threaten deportation or detention if payment isn't made immediately, which is frightening enough to override caution for someone unfamiliar with how these agencies really operate. Genuine government bodies do not call unexpectedly and demand immediate payment by phone, gift card, or wire transfer, and they communicate through official letters with case numbers attached. If a call like this comes in, hang up and contact the agency directly using contact details found independently, not ones the caller provides.

• Genuine immigration officials will not demand fees by phone or wire transfer
• Use only official government websites for visa and permit information
• Ask a trusted community organisation to verify any official-looking letter
• Be wary of 'immigration lawyers' who approach you unsolicited

Job and housing scams

Job and housing pressures make newly arrived people especially vulnerable to two common scams. Fake job listings promise easy work and ask candidates to pay an upfront fee for training, equipment, or a 'work permit processing charge,' or request copies of identity documents that are then used for identity theft rather than any real job. Rental scams advertise properties, often at attractive prices, that don't actually exist or aren't available, asking for a deposit before a viewing can happen. Both exploit the urgency of needing income or somewhere to live quickly in an unfamiliar system. A reliable rule is to never pay any fee to get a job, and never send a housing deposit without viewing the property in person or through someone you trust locally.

• Never pay a recruitment fee upfront — legitimate employers don't charge candidates
• Never hand over original identity documents to a potential employer
• View accommodation before paying any deposit where possible
• Use employer review sites and community recommendations to check companies

Money transfer and banking scams

Sending money to family overseas is a normal part of life for many new arrivals, and scammers know it, setting up fake money-transfer services that offer better rates than legitimate providers but simply keep the money once sent. Fake bank calls are another common approach, with someone claiming to be from your new bank asking you to 'verify your account' by reading out a card number, password, or one-time code — information a real bank will never ask for over the phone. Always use well-known, regulated money-transfer services rather than one recommended by a stranger or found through an unsolicited message, and be especially cautious of anyone who contacted you first rather than the other way round.

• Use regulated, well-known money transfer services
• Banks will never call and ask for your full PIN or password
• If in doubt, hang up and call the bank's official number directly

Finding trustworthy help

One of the most valuable resources for a new arrival is a trustworthy person or organisation to check things with before acting, and these usually already exist locally even if they're not obvious at first. Community organisations serving your particular community, religious or cultural centres, and free advice services such as Citizens Advice can quickly confirm whether a fee, letter, or demand is genuine, often from direct experience with the same scams hitting others recently. Settled members of your own community who arrived years earlier are another excellent resource, since they've usually already encountered and learned to recognise the common local scams. Building this network early, before you need it in a crisis, makes it far easier to get a fast, reliable second opinion.

• Connect with local community organisations for your background
• Citizens Advice and equivalent services offer free, confidential guidance
• Your local council can confirm which services are genuine

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• FTC — Family Emergency Scams
• FTC — How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam
• AARP — Grandparent Scams
• FCC — 'Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated