<\/p>\n
A naturalization ceremony was held at Empire State Plaza on July 4, 2022. Scams targeting people looking for immigration legal help are increasing and becoming more elaborate thanks to artificial intelligence and social media.<\/p>\n
Will Waldron\/Times Union<\/p>\n
In 2023, Patricia fled South America with her three daughters after men her husband owed money to threatened her.<\/p>\n
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After arriving in the lower Hudson Valley, she began searching for an immigration attorney to help her apply for asylum. One quoted her $250 for a consultation. Another charged $100, only to tell her that asylum wasn\u2019t an option because of its low grant rate<\/a>. She spoke with at least five attorneys, but she could not afford them at the time.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After saving some money, Patricia\u00a0eventually found a paralegal online who would take her case for $10,000 with a $1,500 upfront payment. But the paralegal never filed her asylum application and stopped answering her calls when she could no longer pay.<\/p>\n She then hired another lawyer who charged $1,000 per hour, signing a retainer she didn\u2019t fully understand due to her limited English,\u00a0because it used the term \u201crepresentation.\u201d Days before her court date, the firm told her that the $10,000\u00a0she\u2019d spent only covered the filing of\u00a0her asylum application, work authorization and a motion to delay the hearing. If she wanted an attorney to accompany her to court, she would need to pay another $9,000.<\/p>\n So, Patricia and her daughters attended the\u00a0initial hearing alone. An immigration judge ordered them removed to Honduras\u00a0\u2014 a country she has no ties to\u00a0\u2014 under the Asylum Cooperative Agreement, through a process known as pretermission, which dismisses an asylum claim without a full hearing.<\/p>\n Make the Times Union a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n A month before her scheduled deportation, Patricia received WhatsApp messages from a man who claimed he could help her file an appeal.\u00a0After she paid him online, he sent her a fake filing receipt through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, though it should have been filed with the Board of Immigration Appeals.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI felt so bad and disappointed,\u201d said Patricia. The Times Union is using a pseudonym for her because of her pending immigration case.<\/p>\n Patricia eventually connected with\u00a0Neighbors Link Community Law Practice<\/a>, which took her case and filed a proper appeal days before the deadline. But when attorneys followed up with those who had previously advised her, they could not confirm whether they were legitimate legal service providers, except for the attorney who filed her asylum application but charged her an \u201coutrageous\u201d amount and likely misled her, said Melanie Zamenhof, senior attorney at the Westchester County-based organization. Other red flags included a confusing\u00a0retainer from the firm Patricia hired for court representation and rates that were \u201cso far inflated and above what a real immigration attorney would charge.\u201d<\/p>\n It turned out the people who had promised to help Patricia were not real immigration attorneys.<\/p>\n Neighbors Link says Patricia was a victim of immigration-related fraud, a type of scam that involves people pretending to be legitimate immigration service providers who prey on people in a vulnerable situation to steal money and sensitive personal information.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n State agencies and immigration advocates say this type of fraud has become more common as the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown continues. While immigration services scams are not new, rapidly shifting federal policy and heightened enforcement have sown fear in immigrant communities, driving many to seek scarce<\/a> legal help. That imbalance between high demand and limited supply has created a gap scammers can exploit.<\/p>\n Patricia has lost roughly $16,000 to the scams. She said she could have used that money to pay back the men who were threatening her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just speaks to the desperation of people,\u201d Zamenhof said.<\/p>\n Increasing across\u00a0the board<\/p>\n The state attorney general\u2019s office has received about 240 complaints related to immigration service providers since January 2025. Nearly all were filed with the Harlem regional office, according to spokesperson Fox Grant. The total was about double in 2024, which Grant said was partly due to a major immigration services fraud case<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The state Office for New Americans\u2019 hotline received 105 fraud complaints in 2025, primarily from New York City, compared to 73 the year prior. Callers reported being scammed by \u201cunscrupulous people\u201d posing as immigration attorneys or U.S. Department of Justice representatives, according to state Department of State spokesperson Mercedes Padilla.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are certainly seeing far more cases of immigration fraud than was true before last year, and we\u2019re seeing a lot of cases, multiple cases a week,\u201d said Margaret Martin, co-director of Catholic Charities\u2019 Immigrant and Refugee Services Division<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve always noted a bit more fraud in the Hudson Valley \u2026 There aren\u2019t as many services there, and communities are a little more isolated than in the city\u2026 but now we\u2019ve seen this increase across all of our offices.\u201d<\/p>\n Nationwide, complaints have also surged.\u00a0A ProPublica analysis<\/a> of 6,200 complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission over the past five years found reports nearly doubled after Trump was reelected, from about 960 annually since 2021 to 2,000 last year.<\/p>\n Authorities have taken action against perpetrators. In one recent case<\/a> in the Eastern District of New York, five suspects are accused of collecting more than $100,000 through fraudulent transactions.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe are declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud in all forms,\u201d USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement. \u201cImmigration scammers contribute to a lawless environment, undermining our immigration system and posing risks to national security and public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colonie. Some scams involve the falsification of Department of Homeland Security documents.<\/p>\n Jim Franco\/Times Union<\/p>\n Still, the true number of victims is likely higher than what has been reported. Fear of interacting with authorities and stigma prevent many immigrants from reporting fraud, said Rosanna Eugenio, legal director at the New York Immigration Coalition.<\/p>\n \u201c(It\u2019s) difficult on all sides,\u201d Eugenio said. \u201cFor the client who\u2019s being deceived and they\u2019re losing money. And for the attorney, you might face a bar complaint and that might be the first time that you know any of that has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A \u2018very steep upward battle\u2019<\/p>\n Immigration scams often involve misleading ads, poor-quality legal work, falsified Department of Homeland Security documents, and impersonation of real attorneys or officials.<\/p>\n But the schemes are becoming more sophisticated, aided by new technologies like artificial intelligence. Scammers are increasingly targeting immigrants through social media and trusted WhatsApp groups, often advertising services in victims\u2019 native language.<\/p>\n \u201cTo the untrained eye, it seems very legitimate,\u201d said\u00a0Adonia R. Simpson, deputy director of policy and pro bono at the American Bar Association\u2019s Commission on Immigration.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Last summer, the association issued an alert<\/a> after receiving inquiries from people checking on case statuses\u00a0\u2014 even though the organization does not typically provide legal services. The ABA found scammers were using its branding and impersonating real attorneys nationwide.<\/p>\n In one case, scammers staged a fake immigration hearing on Zoom that resembled the TV show \u201cJudge Judy,\u201d said Stephanie Mulcock, senior director for immigration initiatives at the national nonprofit Hispanic Federation. She noted that legitimate immigration hearings are conducted through WebEx and only for people already in deportation proceedings.<\/p>\n Another common scam involves people claiming to be \u201cnotarios\u201d or notary publics<\/a>. In many Spanish-speaking nations, notaries also offer legal services. This scam preys on immigrants who are unaware that in the United States, notaries are not necessarily authorized to provide legal help.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group, recently\u00a0sued Meta, Facebook\u2019s parent company<\/a>, alleging it failed to block suspicious\u00a0ads while charging those advertisers more to display their content. The company says it has removed millions of scam ads<\/a> and developed tools to identify them.<\/p>\n While people with limited English proficiency or little experience with attorneys may be especially vulnerable, \u201canyone can fall victim to it,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n The impacts can be devastating, from the loss of thousands of dollars to denial of immigration benefits and deportation, advocates said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere (were) over 600 substantive legal changes to immigration in 2025 since the Trump 2.0 administration,\u201d Zamenhof said. \u201cThere are all these very niche areas of the law that are very complex and would be hard for a person to navigate on their own, let alone if there are technology, language (and) cultural barriers. It\u2019s just this very steep upward battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n To address the issue, a coalition of advocates and lawmakers is pushing for a $175 million investment for immigration legal services in the state budget, which is now more than a month late. They are also backing two bills\u00a0\u2014 the Access to Representation Act<\/a> and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 which would establish a right to legal counsel in immigration proceedings\u00a0and help build the legal infrastructure needed to provide it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can increase capacity for our current existing legal service providers, it wouldn\u2019t leave so many people out in the cold, desperate and seeking to believe these very convincing scams at times,\u201d Zamenhof said.<\/p>\n Advocates urge immigrants<\/a> to research anyone offering legal help, including by verifying an attorney\u2019s licenses and calling the firm or organization they purport to work for. The American Bar Association has online resources to spot deceptive practices<\/a> and other materials in English<\/a> and Spanish<\/a>. Scammers have reportedly requested payment for immigration forms, but those are available for free online<\/a>.<\/p>\n In New York, suspected fraud can be reported to the Office for New Americans hotline at 800-566-7636. USCIS also has an online fraud tip form<\/a> and more resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After being deceived three times, Patricia said the experience took a heavy toll. She separated from her husband and fell into a depression. Her daughter attempted to take her own life. Her appeal is now pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals.<\/p>\n But with help from Neighbors Link and support from her church, she is trying to rebuild.<\/p>\n \u201cMy self-esteem is in the gutter. I got depressed, didn\u2019t want to go outside. Financially\u00a0\u2014 yes, I\u2019m in debt as well,\u201d she said. \u201cBut there will always be good people.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A naturalization ceremony was held at Empire State Plaza on July 4, 2022. 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Courtesy of the American Bar Association<\/p>\n