The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a sophisticated fraud operation targeting immigrants in legal proceedings, following reporting that complaints about such scams doubled during President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Homeland Security Investigations, the DHS subagency that tracks international crimes including human trafficking, has begun requesting specific case details and seeking identifying information on payment platforms, messaging apps, and websites used by the scammers. The agency is looking for URLs, WhatsApp numbers, and Zelle payment app data that could trace back to perpetrators, according to sources knowledgeable about the inquiry.
Analysis of Federal Trade Commission data revealed that victims and advocates reported at least $94.4 million stolen over five years across more than 6,200 complaints. The scams range from fraudsters impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents threatening deportation to con artists exploiting international students’ visa status concerns.
DHS released a statement saying the agency was “declaring an all-out war” on the scammers. “Immigration scammers contribute to a lawless environment, undermining our immigration system and posing risks to national security and public safety,” the statement said.
The scams operate with a consistent pattern: fraudsters pose as immigration lawyers and advertise on Facebook and TikTok, then shift conversations to WhatsApp, offering to help people avoid in-person court hearings in exchange for large payments. Victims describe attending fake court hearings conducted via WhatsApp where imposters wearing phony government uniforms took their testimony.
In one documented case, a woman fearful of Trump’s immigration enforcement actions paid scammers she believed would help her maintain legal status. After the fraud, she missed a court date and was deported to Nicaragua.
The schemes often exploit a mistranslation of the word “notary,” which carries legal authority implications in Latin American countries—a tactic known as “notario fraud.” Spanish speakers are the primary targets, and scammers frequently impersonate legitimate advocacy groups like Catholic Charities USA to gain credibility.
South Florida immigration attorney Angel Leal has become a target of AI-generated impersonation, with hundreds of realistic deepfake videos created in his likeness advertising fraudulent immigration services on WhatsApp and Instagram. His office hired an anti-piracy agency to remove over 6,000 fake profiles.
Kevin Brennan, vice president for media relations at Catholic Charities USA, stated: “Directly reaching out to people via an ad or via WhatsApp and asking for money over Zelle, that is not something Catholic Charities agencies would ever do.”
Law enforcement and advocacy groups recommend that targets document all advertisements, text conversations, and payment information. DHS warns consumers to be wary of lawyers advertising directly on social media, operating on WhatsApp, and requesting payments via Zelle.
Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dhs-immigration-scams-fraud-homeland-security
