Legal & Immigration Scams

Fraudulent companies and individuals who charge fees to prepare visa or green card applications but provide worthless or non-existent services.

Criminals who threaten to report someone to immigration authorities unless a payment is made, exploiting fear of deportation as leverage.

Unqualified 'notarios' and immigration consultants who charge for legal advice they are not permitted to give, often harming clients' cases.

Individuals posing as qualified immigration attorneys who take fees, provide incompetent or fraudulent services, and disappear before clients realise the harm done.

Fraudulent notifications claiming you have won the Diversity Visa lottery that demand fees before a visa is issued — or fake application services that charge to submit the free official form.

Services that charge for citizenship test preparation claiming to be official or to improve pass rates through back channels, but provide nothing beyond free public materials.

Fraudulent job offers, agencies, or services that charge for work permits or visas that are never obtained, or that are forgeries.

Fraudsters who contact individuals claiming they are owed money from a legal settlement, then charge upfront fees to release the non-existent payout.

Fraudulent websites or operators who collect a fee to file a class action claim on your behalf, when no genuine class action exists or no service is provided.

Callers posing as lawyers or debt collectors who threaten immediate lawsuits or arrest over fabricated or unverifiable debts unless payment is made at once.

Fraudulent services that charge for notarization or apostille certification but produce invalid or forged documents that fail when submitted to official authorities.

Operators who charge fees to file asylum applications, promising to expedite or guarantee the outcome of a process that is free when filed directly.

Scammers impersonate immigration authorities by phone, email, or text, claiming a pending application has a problem that requires an urgent 'processing fee,' 'reactivation fee,' or 'correction fee' paid outside official channels.

Fraudulent websites mimic official electronic travel authorization or eVisa application portals, charging travelers inflated or entirely fake fees for a document that is either never delivered or freely available at low cost from the real government site.

Scammers contact families of detained immigrants claiming a bond payment must be sent immediately through an unofficial channel to secure release, exploiting the urgency and fear surrounding detention.

Scammers pose as overseas employers or recruitment agencies offering a job with visa sponsorship, then charge upfront fees for processing, training, or documents before disappearing with no job ever materializing.

Brokers offer to arrange a marriage to a citizen or resident for immigration purposes in exchange for a large fee, often disappearing with the money, leaving victims with no marriage, no status, and potential legal exposure.

Scammers target refugees and asylum seekers awaiting resettlement, claiming a fee is required to speed up processing, secure a resettlement slot, or release travel documents that legitimate resettlement programs never charge for.

Fraudulent training and certification programs charge aspiring court interpreters for credentials that are not recognized by any court system, leaving them unable to work in the role they paid to qualify for.

Scammers create or misuse a power of attorney document to gain control over someone's finances, property, or legal decisions, often targeting elderly or vulnerable individuals who are pressured or deceived into signing.

Scammers pose as attorneys or estate administrators contacting people about a supposed inheritance from a distant or unknown relative, requesting fees to release funds that do not actually exist.

Scammers offer DNA testing services claiming results will prove family relationships needed for an immigration or family reunification case, charging high fees for tests that are not accepted by the actual immigration authority or are never properly conducted.

Fraudsters posing as expectant mothers or as adoption agencies collect 'expenses' and fees from hopeful adoptive parents for a placement that was never going to happen.