Reporting Fraud to USCIS

[Karee 4,189]

I think it's pretty easy to dramatically cut one's chances of getting defrauded by someone out to get to the states. Not eliminate, but decrease substantially.

At least when it comes to Southeast Asia, the mistake I see people (mainly western men) making is getting involved with women they meet online/through dating services. As someone pointed out up-thread, there are numerous professional scammers who make a bloody good living doing this. I've been to internet cafes in the Philippines where I have personally witnessed women chatting/camming with up to 10 foreign guys at once. She 'loved' them all and probably half of them were sending her money every month.

I feel it very necessary to point out, I have many, many friends, and amazing in-laws, in the Philippines. As an example of what I mean by amazing: my in-laws let me live with them, fed me, and asked nothing from me, for many months when I had no resources, no job, and no prospects. They aren't wealthy people by any stretch of the imagination, but they've always loved me and looked after me as if I were their own flesh and blood. So this posting is not polemic about Filipinos all or mainly being scammers. To the contrary, all it takes is a very small percentage of unscrupulous and/or desperate, and/or lazy people to make everyone else look like #######. Nearly everyone I have interacted with in the Philippines over the decade I have been visiting there has treated me fairly, at a minimum, and more often have been kind and welcoming.

I did not meet my wife through a dating site, or online. She had never thought of coming to the U.S., and never found American men terribly appealing. We ended up together despite my being American, not because I am. Now that she's a citizen, we're trying to decide which country we will live in for the next several years. I have qualms about raising our son in a country where all that matters is being forced into being liked everyone else - a cog in the machine to further enrich, and be obedient to, the ruling elite. There may be no absolute escape from that, but at least in the Philippines, I feel like he will have a chance of valuing the love of his family above whatever useless consumer junk the conglomerates are telling us we must possess.

While everything you say may be true, I think the point of this thread is to let everyone know the steps that can be taken if one is a victim of fraud. I'm glad Brian posted it, because I can't count the number of times people have come here saying "I've been scammed, what do I do now?" Thankfully Brian posted the steps that need to be taken to try and protect the victims of these scams.

[rhein 451]

While everything you say may be true, I think the point of this thread is to let everyone know the steps that can be taken if one is a victim of fraud. I'm glad Brian posted it, because I can't count the number of times people have come here saying "I've been scammed, what do I do now?" Thankfully Brian posted the steps that need to be taken to try and protect the victims of these scams.

Good points.

Perhaps I need to start a thread on how to avoid getting scammed, so that we save some people the pain....

[belinda63 2,981]

This is a good topic and I think people should know there are websites and "schools" in other countries that teach how to scam a USC for a green card. It seems VAWA has become the biggest new thing, but there are still many, many ways to scam someone. My mother's biggest fear was that my fiancé has several women online sending him money to support him. I never sent him a dime and never would have if he had asked.

At the same time I was very honest with him about my past and my criminal history. Certainly we didn't know everything about each other but the big issues were out there to be discussed. I still think it is funny that he has never and continues to refuse to meet my children's fathers.

[SingleDad2usc 71]

good thoughts debunking anti-immigration:

The world is overpopulated. The street are clogged, traffic is in a snarl, and people are living both figuratively and literally right on top of each other. Theres hardly enough room to swing a cat these days, right? Wrong.

The world is not overcrowded at all. There are vast swaths of unpopulated land all over the place. Siberia, Canada, Africa, Australia, even the rural USA all contain more than enough wide open spaces. So why do people labor so resolutely under this delusion? The reason is simple: most people, especially those with the time and inclination to carp about overpopulation, live in areas of high population density, a non-representative sample of the world as a whole. We call these places cities, and the reason why people live in cities, despite their complaining, is that there are benefits for large populations congregating close together.

It is convenient to live in a place with lots of other people, because each of those people can potentially do something for you, from repairing your shoes, to cooking your meals, to running entertainment venues, to, perhaps most importantly, providing you with gainful employment. Try living out in the middle of nowhere and see how easy it is to feed yourself, much less make a living and survive medical problems. The division of labor means that the more people there are nearby, the more able we are to fulfill our wants and needs. Hence, crowded cities.

This misconception of the worlds population problems has led some to celebrate the declining birth rates we now see in most of the developed world. But the anticipation of a little expanded breathing room causes them take the wrong view on the economic impacts of a declining population. This has to do with an incomplete understanding of human action.

Those who worry about overpopulation tend to view people as nothing more than consumers. Resources are finite; humans consume resources. Therefore, fewer humans will mean more resources to go around. This is the core idea behind the opposition to expanded immigration. Namely, the fear that more people will mean less work and less wealth for the rest of us. But while the two premises of this syllogism are true, they are also woefully incomplete, making the conclusion incorrect as well.

The reason is that humans are not merely consumers. Every consumer is also a producer as well, and production is how we have improved our standards of living from the dawn of man till today. Every luxury, every great invention, every work of art, every modern convenience that we enjoy was the product of a mind in some cases, of more than one. It then stands to reason that the more minds there are, the more innovations we will have as well. A reductio ad absudum reveals the obvious truth that a cure for cancer is more likely to emerge from a society of a billion people than from one of only a handful of individuals.

More importantly, these innovations result in a multiplication of resources, so our syllogism changes to the following: Resources are finite; humans consume resources; humans produce resources; therefore, if humans produce more resources than they consume, a greater population will be beneficial to the species.

That we do, in fact, produce more than we consume is self-evident by looking at the standard of living we enjoy today versus that which we had 50, or 100, or 1000 years ago. As the population has expanded, so has our prosperity, and the reduction in human suffering has been remarkable.

[HeyTiffinnie 4]

bump

scammed by a narcissistic sociopath from Brazil.

[seaguliable 6]

Edited version with no auto spell checker ...Here is what I wish I knew before I applied for a deadbeat spouse who is only in the marriage for a green card .He had help from his family and friends...never ever even if your hormones are bursting out send any money to a online lover .If they proposition marriage go to a immigration lawyer and have them get as much info on the person you are marrying(freedom of information a act) and have them review all of your communication as they are "up" on scams.Thats all they do mostly everyday is review case after

case. if you do decide to marry them DO NOT pay for any of the expense to send you to their country, or expense to put there for your stay. if you are not invited to stay with the family ....RED FLAG . After you marry, When you apply for their green card Don't pay for the fees ; if they really want to be with you and not just want marriage for a easy greencard they will find a way . DO a prenup ...protect yourself ...the USA government doesn't pursue marriage fraud unless your talking big criminal groups. Check you know the person well in some countries you just walk up to a registrar and say hey I was born in this village this date and "boom " you got a birth certificate usually if date of obtaining the birth certificate is three weeks before you come to visit ...red flag .Understand a lot of cultures move from woman to woman and make babies these women become "traditional wives" and never are registered.you may never know how many wives your spouse has. Next is to understand The wheels of government turn slow and if you choose to apply for green card for your "now" spouse if they don't come and are turned down ...FIND out WHY before reapplying ..if you reapply know that it may takes another year or so to approve and NOW your marriage is most likely over the two year threshold and that i485 you filed is now permanent not conditional so guess what as soon as their green card comes in the mail most like a huge percentage of green-card holders go bye bye see ya later and are off to greener pastures sending money home to their family's kids and "non registered traditional wives" or husbands ...most third world countries are so poverty stricken or in such political turmoil usa is a haven and your loneliness is their golden opportunity to plunder ...I wish I would known this like all other victims it is not your fault it's education of the public to the system and how international marriage to a foreigner works . Marriage is never easy and yes lots fail locally and women do get scammed locally , but don't let people hang you because you should have been more prudent and known better ..Love don't work that wAy and because you fell for a sweet line doesn't mean you deserve this treatment ....and please know fraud is a crime with victims ,just like any other crime

[TBoneTX 43,060]

*** Several more "bump" posts removed as thread-clutter. ***

[Tong Yan 2]

Just an update : he married the woman and again he did apply for adjustment using the marriage route again. The woman he married was the same woman we reported to USCIS. We hope that USCIS will look into the evidence that we submitted on his planned immigration marriage fraud on his first application.

[working susan 0]

Hello I know of two Filipino women (sisters) who married and paid to get a green card/ citizenship. Surprise! The first one already got her citizenship and the second one just married. They don't even live with the men, they just use a common address, common checking account etc. to make it look legit. How do I report them. Can I do what Brian suggested and make an info pass appointment abd speak with a FDNS officer even if I am not the victim of the fraud? I have all sorts of proof, addresses, names, dates, etc. If they would just follow through, they will catch them. Also, if they already got their citizenship, are they completely free?

[Pitaya 2,576]

Hello I know of two Filipino women (sisters) who married and paid to get a green card/ citizenship. Surprise! The first one already got her citizenship and the second one just married. They don't even live with the men, they just use a common address, common checking account etc. to make it look legit. How do I report them. Can I do what Brian suggested and make an info pass appointment abd speak with a FDNS officer even if I am not the victim of the fraud? I have all sorts of proof, addresses, names, dates, etc. If they would just follow through, they will catch them. Also, if they already got their citizenship, are they completely free?

From the VJ Terms of Service:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FRAUDULENT OR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ACTIVITIES

VisaJourney does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board.

Ref: http://www.visajourney.com/content/terms

[Darnell 8,478]

Hello I know of two Filipino women (sisters) who married and paid to get a green card/ citizenship. Surprise! The first one already got her citizenship and the second one just married. They don't even live with the men, they just use a common address, common checking account etc. to make it look legit. How do I report them. Can I do what Brian suggested and make an info pass appointment abd speak with a FDNS officer even if I am not the victim of the fraud? I have all sorts of proof, addresses, names, dates, etc. If they would just follow through, they will catch them. Also, if they already got their citizenship, are they completely free?

yes, you can.

practice writing up letters of attestation on each human.

[Brian1967## 119]

Contact FDNS at your local office and bring real proof, something that can be used in court

[gland 5]

My wife just flat disappeared less than 2 months after getting her 10 year green card and me teaching her how to drive. I have found where she talked several hours on the phone to a man 800 miles away. As I look back I can see how she was a fraud the entire time. Wish she would be sent back but I will just wait till God catches up with her.

[tam8i8 0]

Hello!

I have contacted a law firm here in Minnesota, who is willing to take a case to the Feds. The firm consists of 3 attorneys, one constitutional law professor, another contract/business and family attorney, and another that is an ex-MN state senator.

They are extremely eager to get on these cases involving fraud, and the I-864 and understand the obvious injustice with the current administrative system.

To that end, I am gathering a group of 50 people to be part of our lawsuit. It will help to have the numbers to get the Feds to really listen, and at the same time keep it to the 50, as not to overwhelm the case for too long. Although we can list others if there are more than 50 as future litigants if they want to be a part of it.

We are looking for anyone who has experienced immigration fraud, and specifically signed an I-864 which they are now forced into. Anyone who has VAWA fraud experience is also welcomed.

The attorneys are considering filing suit withe Federal Court of Claims, or potentially in district court under the administrative procedures act. They've already started doing research in the last few weeks. I'm hoping to get 50 people by January to take the case forward with a presence. Our ex-senator attorney also has many media contacts and we'd like to get the case in the public (shielding the identities of the litigants of course).

And so, I am wondering if you would contact anyone you know, or send their contact information along to me to contact, who you think might benefit from being a part of our lawsuit. We really want to change the way the government does business in the immigration sector, in terms of their dealing with U.S. Citizen's and lawful permanent residents who are sponsors.

Please send me a private message with your information!

Thank you so much!!!

[Boiler 43,446]

Interesting that they would take on such a case pro bono.