Scammers Promise Immigrants Quick Path To Citizenship
YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) — The Yolo County District Attorney's Office says they've seen an uptick in so-called businesses or individuals targeting undocumented immigrants.
They were made aware of the scam by migrant farm workers who received fliers and pamphlets at work camps. For a hefty fee, the scammers promise to provide government forms and help speed up the process of becoming a legal US citizen. But once the victim puts up the cash, the contact disappears.
"Many times they take the money or they ask for a certain deposit—A $2,000 deposit or $1,000 deposit to start the process and then they never hear from them again," said Yolo County DA spokeswoman Laura Valdes.
"It's is very important that people know about these things and don't fall into a fraudulent situation," she said.
Estela Morales has seen scam scenarios play out like this many times before.
"I come from a migrant family, I grew up in a migrant camp," she said.
She now works for the county as an outreach coordinator, visiting camps and educating workers about the immigration system and what to watch out for.
"It's is very disheartening because the majority of the people are here to better themselves, to better their lives and their children's lives, and people pray on that" Morales said.
Many of the documents scammers are charging victims for, like the N400 form, can be found on the USCIS.gov website for free.
"The first red flag for you would be if it's too good to be true, it probably is," said immigration attorney, Kaushik Ranchod.
Ranchod says the path to citizenship can take up to six years or more, and anyone promising something quicker is most likely running a scam.
"There is no quick fix. We get that question a lot of times because it's very frustrating because the process is so long"
The district attorney's office says there's not much recourse for people who have fallen victim to these scams because once those scam companies get their money, they either dissolve or disappear and it's hard to track them down.
But they encourage anyone who thinks they are currently being targeted by a potential scammer to contact their county DA's office or local law-enforcement.
