It was Monday, and the lunch sprint was in full swing at El Sancho Loco Taqueria in Newbury Park, when a customer was wearing a jacket with a label on the back that read “Ice Immigration.”
This is not a real immigration official. “This is an attempt to intimidate our community,” said immigration advocate Primitiva Hernandez.
“It’s not only cruel, it’s illegal,” she said.
Artie, California, said more and more people are reporting reports of people imitating immigration and customs law enforcement officers and other scams targeting immigrant communities. General Rob Bonta. He said the bad actors are “taking advantage of the fear created by the Trump administration’s massive deportation program.”
On Monday, community members concerned reminded 805 Undocudund that the joint efforts of the organization’s immigration services organization in Ventura and Santa Barbara County “express deep concerns about this intimidation,” said Hernandez, the organization’s executive director.
Impersonating a federal official is a crime and can be punished with fines or imprisonment.
“Let me know,” Bonta said in a statement:[i]If you seek scams or otherwise exploit the immigrant community in California, you will be held responsible. ”
Experts, including Bonta, share immigration-related scams and how to protect themselves from them.
Fake ice agent
According to Bonta’s office, if someone who claims to be an immigration officer contacts you, the best way to confirm that they are legal federal officials is to ask for an ID card. Immigration authorities carry identification badges and certificates.
How to protect yourself from people who imitate ice officials:
- Don’t sign anything. Even with a legitimate ICE official, you should always know your signature.
- Do not agree to any content without written and in language you understand.
- You have the constitutional right to remain silent. If you are asked about your immigration status, your birthplace, or your way into the United States, you can refuse to answer or remain silent. This applies even if the ice agent is legal.
A fraudster who pretends to be ice or U.S. citizenship and immigration service officials may also try to contact you via phone, text, email, or social media.
However, according to the USCIS website, immigration officials will only contact you through official government channels such as USCIS accounts and will not contact you through your personal social media account. If you have signed a case alert by email or phone, always confirm the information by logging in to your account.
A fake ice agent on the phone may ask for personal or financial information under the guise of a problem with your immigration case and tell you the necessary information to avoid deportation. Immigration officials will not call for personal information or money. The Attorney General’s Office said ICE agents will not warn you that you will be detained or arrested.
- Do not provide money or personal information For anyone calling, texting or emailing, you claim that there is a problem with your immigration status or documentation.
- Do not sign immigration forms that include incorrect information or blank. Before signing any immigration form, make sure the form is filled out completely accurately. If it has wrong information, such as the wrong name, it is false. Don’t let anyone convince you to lie on the form or sign a blank form.
Fake immigration lawyer
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers try to make immigrants consider themselves to be immigration lawyers because they call themselves notary, notary, accountant or consultant.
In Latin American countries, notary or notary is attorney or legal training, but not in the United States.
You can seek help from legal legal aid organizations that provide free services to low-income individuals. Search the Lawhelpca.org directory to find organizations near you.
How to protect yourself from scams:
- Do not hire an immigration consultant or notary. Only attorneys, recognized representatives and recognized organizations can provide legal advice to you or represent you in the immigration court. According to Bonta’s office, immigration consultants – who can call themselves immigration experts, notary, notary or paralegal – cannot do so.
- Don’t hand over your original important documents to anyone According to the FTC, unless you see evidence that the government needs the original documents.
You can search for the attorney legally verified an attorney by searching on the California State Bar Association website. By searching for attorneys, you will learn if their legal license to practice is active and find contact information.
Fake website
Some illegal websites claim to be related to ICE websites.
They may use names like “American Immigration” and display photos of the American flag or Statue of Liberty.
According to the FTC, if the website does not end with “.gov”, it is not a federal government website.
Another red flag to be aware of is whether the website is trying to charge you for exempting government forms.
There is another warning: the so-called prank
The San Pablo Police Department, which opposes Costa County, recently notified the community with a blue package marked “You are deported” with an image of the American flag on it. The packaged images have been distributed on social media.
The department said the package was a scam, “the individual claimed to be an immigration officer asking for personal information or payment.”
The packages are called pranks in two places for sale, Tiktok Shop and Beersy. However, they do not seem to identify it as a fake paperwork. Neither company responded to a Times request for comment.
