A federal campaign to make more people aware of the existence of serious immigration scams is currently underway. Many – including officials from the federal, state and local levels, New Jersey immigration lawyers and immigration advocates -- are supporting the new initiative to educate people about the existence of these scams, which are now becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Many of the immigration scams currently operate using professional-looking websites that closely mimic the sites run by government agencies. The scam operators promise people immigration-related services, take money from them and then fail to provide the services. Unfortunately, many immigrants who may not have the benefit of education, or who may not speak English, are easily duped by these scam operations.
The federal campaign aims to increase awareness among immigrants about scams that promise all kinds of immigration-related services, from sites promising visas to those offering naturalization. Through the campaign, immigrants will be advised to avoid unlicensed immigration services providers, especially those who operate websites resembling government agency sites. The campaign will also work to educate immigrants about the right avenues through which they can seek immigration-related assistance and avoid fraud.
The campaign was first kicked off in Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, San Antonio and Fresno, California. It is now expected to expand across the country. The campaign is being spearheaded by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and will include advertisements, leaflets and posters published in both Spanish and English. The campaign will also have its own website with information made available in 12 languages.
The New Jersey immigration lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman represent persons in visa, asylum, naturalization and other immigration-related matters across New Jersey.
