The US Embassy in Cuba sent out an alert to USCIS regarding an uptick in immigration fraud.
Scammers utilize several tactics to execute their schemes and complicate the application procedure for potential candidates.
These con artists deceive individuals into thinking they are government agents through phone calls, emails, and posts on social media. The victims’ safety is put at risk when they are deceived into disclosing personal information.
USCIS recommends applicants to confirm with the Department of Justice or an authorized lawyer acting as legal advice. They also caution against trusting comments that are misspelled or do not end in.gov.
Emails that seem suspect should be forwarded to webmaster@uscis.dhs.gov, so they can look into them and decide whether or not they are frauds. USCIS states that fees must be paid via the proper immigration procedure channels.
If you are not involved in the fraud, reporting it won’t affect your application in any way. People who are affected are advised by USCIS to report the scam to local law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission in order to protect the integrity of the immigration process.
Check out the official USCIS website for further information on how to avoid falling for these con artists.