How to protect yourself from scams pretending to be immigration agencies or lawyers in New Jersey

This article was originally published by Documented, an independent, non-profit newsroom dedicated to reporting with and for immigrant communities in New York City. It’s republished here with New Jersey-specific information as part of a collaboration between Documented and The Jersey Bee. The original article can be accessed here.

Fraudulent emails and messages from people pretending to represent federal immigration agencies falsely promise migrants legal representation for obtaining a Green Card or other services in exchange for a small fee. Scammers often specifically target Spanish-speaking migrants who are in the process of adjusting their immigration status.

Rosa Santana, Bond Director at Envision Freedom Fund, contacted Documented regarding scam messages circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp. The messages falsely claimed that failure to respond to the correspondence could result in a “negative report in the migration system,” making individuals “prone to deportation.”

Scam messages that target migrants are nothing new, as Documented has previously reported. However, new scams are targeting migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Here are some of the common scams targeting migrants with immigration cases and how to avoid them.

How to tell if federal correspondence is legitimate

One scam email pretends to be sent from the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), Santana shared. While USCIS is a real federal agency in charge of processing immigration cases, one of the ways to spot if the correspondence is from the agency is to verify the web domain name of the email.

All government agencies in the United States end in a “.gov” and often ask the user to visit their official platform (also ending in .gov) to access any information pertaining to their case.

“USCIS recognizes that the immigration process can be complex and that applicants, petitioners, and requestors are at risk of becoming victims of scams or fraud,” a spokesperson for USCIS told Documented, adding that petitioners and applicants can access the agency’s  resources to safeguard their information to avoid falling for scams. 

USCIS and other agencies do not include or request sensitive information about someone’s case in their emails. It is to ensure that no personal information could be leaked if the email is shared or accessed by individuals other than the applicant. 

“USCIS will only contact you through official government channels and will not contact you through your personal social media accounts,” the spokesperson said.

Verifying an immigration attorney 

Through WhatsApp, migrants have also been receiving messages from people who pass as immigration lawyers. A screenshot shared with Documented, where someone claims to be an attorney, says “I have been assigned to handle your case of extortion.”

Those providing legal advice must either be an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice-recognized organization. 

Every attorney must be a member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia. You can check if an attorney is in good standing in New Jersey by searching their name on the state’s court website.

Attorneys can also be verified by looking them up through their license number, as every attorney is required by the state to have an active license.

What to do if you’re the victim of an immigration scam

If you were a victim of an immigration scam, you can file a fraud claim using USCIS’s website depending on the state that you are in. 

You can file a complaint in New Jersey by visiting the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website or by calling the division directly at (800) 242-5846.

Find local immigration resources in New Jersey

• New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children is a legal services and advocacy organization that has resources on navigating immigration court, education and school enrollments, and the rights of English language learners.
• ACLU New Jersey and New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice are state advocacy organizations that share resources on immigrant rights and protections.
• Immigrant Advocates Network is a resource network that shares a list of free or low-cost immigration legal service providers and lawyers by state or county.

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