How to Avoid Immigration Scams (US Citizenship) American Citizen

Please know that there are fake websites that look like the USCIS government website. So make sure to check that when you start filing your application, you are using the official USCIS website: www.uscis.gov.

To avoid being victimized, make sure that the website that you are visiting is coming from the uscis.gov or is officially affiliated with the uscis.gov. or www.uscis.gov in your browser’s window.

You have to remember that the USCIS will never ask you to pay just to download their official USCIS forms. Their forms are always free on their site and immigrant applicants can also get those forms at their local USCIS office. Please take note that the USCIS no longer offers paper copies of forms that are available to file online. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recommends that you set up an online account with them and file those forms online.

“Winning the Visa Lottery” Fraud Tactic

If someone acts as a USCIS representative and claims that you’ve won the green card lottery and informs you to send or wire money right away, never believe it...since this sender only wants to steal your money the soonest possible time. They will ask the applicant first to wire a huge amount of money through PayPal or the Western Union.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services does not manage the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program because this is officially managed by the U.S. Department of State. The popular DV Program is also known as the visa lottery. Don’t be fooled if you will receive a fake email informing you that you won a green card or visa lottery.

You can visit the official website of the State Department to learn more about this program, the needed requirements to enter, and how they will notify the people who shall be selected. The DV Program is FREE and the State Department shall never send any immigrant applicant an email about being selected.

Official link: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/imm…

Payments by Phone or Email Tactics

If someone calls you asking for personal information or money, hang up instantly. The scammers will call you by phone and usually claim that they can easily renew or file your immigration application forms, then ask for an immediate payment.

Once they can get your personal information, they may even sell it and use everything to make more money out of it. If you need legal advice for your application, make sure that you are receiving the right legal advice and assistance. The official website of the USCIS has a list of free or low-cost help via the link below:

uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/find-help-your-c…

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will never ask you to transfer money to any person. They don’t accept PayPal, Western Union, MoneyGram, or gift cards as payment for any immigration fees. The USCIS will accept payments with their immigration fees online, but only if an applicant shall pay it through his or her USCIS online account and through the official Pay.gov. website.

We have the official website link so that you can learn more about Paying the USCIS Fees:

uscis.gov/forms/paying-uscis-fees

Do Not Pay for Special Connection Scheme

They may assure you that you can get a permanent green card, work permit a lot faster or even a US citizenship certificate if they receive an immediate payment as a fee. Remember that the USCIS has no exceptions to the normal processing times and no one can obtain these services faster than the usual normal process.

There are many fake emails nowadays that will inform you that you only need to re-verify your account details. Please take note that emails from the U.S. government always end in the domain “.gov”. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will never send an email indicating that you’ve been approved for a immigrant visa, naturalization application, or any other type of immigration benefit. The USCIS will never ask any applicant to transfer money to any person by phone or email. You may visit the government website links below on fraud warnings for additional information.

usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds
www.fraud.org

You can also report scams to your local government or your state consumer protection office.

Disclaimer:
This educational video is for informational purposes only. The use of information contained in this video does not constitute any legal advice. Any reliance on the information contained herein is solely at the viewer’s own risk. We make the best effort to include up-to-date and accurate information in all our published videos. However, with the constant change of immigration laws, fees, regulations, forms, procedures and policies, then the information contained herein may no longer be correct. Kindly consult any authorized immigration law expert before you make any decisions or take any actions that might affect your U.S. immigration status.