Vietnamese massive marriage fraud ring unraveled by ICE [merged threads]

[Unlockable 7,306]

35 minutes ago, USS_Voyager said:

Of course it's only the tip. The demand is really high in Vietnam. When there's demand, there's supply. There are advertisements all the time in the Vietnamese FB groups and such.

 

I know!!! As a Vietnamese, I am both disgusted by the news and yet astonished at my people's business acumen as well as "how the hell did these people get all these money?" At $50k-$70k, they made between $7.5 million and $10.5 million in the last 5 years, tax free! The average household income in Vietnam is around $2,000/year. How the in hell they paid this kind of money? I know the wealth discrepancy is high too in Vietnam, but Jesus holy bucket.  

 

19 minutes ago, ALFKAD said:

So you're telling me I can get a cute Vietnamese wife, PLUS $70,000 for taking care of her?  Is there a way to see her first, or is it a "sight unseen" kind of deal?

Second thing that popped in my head was, "Have these people not heard of dating sites? Where they can save 10's of thousands of dollars and still maybe find someone who genuinely cares for them?" Seriously, with the millions they made from the scam they could have used the money to start a legit Vietnamese dating website or dating service. They were real greedy.

 

I mean, I want to feel bad for the people paying all that money just to get a visa/green card through a scam, but I am really struggling to. I have read stories of women from poor villages in developing countries having to save money for weeks and walk miles to internet cafes simply to access to dating websites. I got a whole lot more respect for their hustle than those paying $70,000.

 

 

[gabluc 171]

no wonder the backlog in texas service center. 

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

2 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

So you're telling me I can get a cute Vietnamese wife, PLUS $70,000 for taking care of her?  Is there a way to see her first, or is it a "sight unseen" kind of deal?

you want your cake and to eat it too .... it can be like playing the lottery 

[Boiler 43,622]

I assume most would be males? Now why I am not sure.

[Dashinka 23,318]

2 hours ago, USS_Voyager said:

That doesn't have anything to do with anything, man. There is a legitimate need to be able to adjust status inside the US. For example, refugees, you can't send them back to where they're from to do consular processing! The whole point is they can't live there, that's why they left.

 

But this story is not about AOS. This ring, with the help of the lawyer, created entire backstories, albums, photos, trips,.... everything. They know how to tick all the boxes to get through USCIS and the Consulate. 

This one may not be about AOSing fraud, but my comment was more in general related to immigration fraud.  This occurs at all levels and it is not just isolated to Vietnam.  Heck, even refugee and asylum seekers can include people making fraudulent claims.

[Dashinka 23,318]

6 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I assume most would be males? Now why I am not sure.

If it were China, there might be an explanation.

 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

2 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

So you're telling me I can get a cute Vietnamese wife, PLUS $70,000 for taking care of her?  Is there a way to see her first, or is it a "sight unseen" kind of deal?

The $70,000 is just cash for you. They will pay for your trips (probably 2-3 trips) to the touristy destinations in Asia to take pictures and create the impression of "time together". Then, there is a big wedding party, honey moon, all expenses paid for. The whole package gotta cost $100,000-$120,000 between all that and legal fees, government fees.... One expensive green card!

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

16 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I assume most would be males? Now why I am not sure.

I'd assume the opposite. Usually the females who already have boyfriend/husband would pay this premium to ensure this really is purely a business transaction and the US citizen counterpart doesn't get the wrong idea and "try to eat the cake too". 

Edited May 15, 2019 by USS_Voyager

[Boiler 43,622]

Well most of the cases I see on here involve female beneficiaries, sort of like PI, and they have a potential route through dating etc.

 

So I assumed it would be trickier for males looking to move and they may be better places to raise family funds, loans whatever.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

5 hours ago, Randyandyuni said:

you want your cake and to eat it too .... it can be like playing the lottery 

As long as it's dark chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting, why knot?  🤣

[millefleur 5,039]

7 hours ago, Unlockable said:

Second thing that popped in my head was, "Have these people not heard of dating sites? Where they can save 10's of thousands of dollars and still maybe find someone who genuinely cares for them?" Seriously, with the millions they made from the scam they could have used the money to start a legit Vietnamese dating website or dating service. They were real greedy.

Greed corrupts the mind. It becomes like an addiction, you just want more and more and it's never enough.

 

7 hours ago, Unlockable said:

I mean, I want to feel bad for the people paying all that money just to get a visa/green card through a scam, but I am really struggling to. I have read stories of women from poor villages in developing countries having to save money for weeks and walk miles to internet cafes simply to access to dating websites. I got a whole lot more respect for their hustle than those paying $70,000.

Who even in the US has $70k to spare, and in cash/dark money I'm assuming? There's no way anyone involved in this didn't know that it was highly illegal and wrong and probably used ill gotten money. Such people would've never been interested in owning or operating a legimate business, when they know that the black market offer$ so much more. 

 

I wonder if this is going to elevate Vietnam to "high fraud" status?

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by millefleur

[Randyandyuni 2,682]

32 minutes ago, ALFKAD said:

As long as it's dark chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting, why knot?  🤣

I prefer mocha with chocolate frosting

[cyclone27 710]

19 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I wonder if this is going to elevate Vietnam to "high fraud" status?

Already is high fraud country - generally all of SEA fits that description.

[Falcon Cara 378]

9 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

So you're telling me I can get a cute Vietnamese wife, PLUS $70,000 for taking care of her?  Is there a way to see her first, or is it a "sight unseen" kind of deal?

What a deal

[theresaL 408]

I'm not really sure how one would even set up something like this. I'm too honest and just don't think criminal.

 

When we were going thru the K-1 process a friend of mine and I were talking about immigration in general and she explained to me how some of her family were able to immigrate. She's from VN and she said it was common for older male family members to petition for younger female relatives claiming she is their wife and vice versa. She said her uncle did this and the girl (supposed spouse) was actually his niece. Then after the "wife" became a US citizen they divorced and she petitioned for her parents. She said she knew other people who did the same thing and there was always a fee involved.