On daily basis they arrive into town NY tons of of migrants from all around the world attempting to make their approach in a minefield of many issues. Maybe essentially the most difficult problem, lengthy and even not possible for a lot of, He needs to get the “papers” within the quick time period to search out higher alternatives.
Within the midst of this despair and vulnerability, very credible prison buildings to defraud migrantsare being provided in report time, from work permits, to the lengthy awaited ones ‘inexperienced card’, for 1000’s and 1000’s of {dollars}.
On this facet, the Brooklyn District Lawyer Eric González confirmed that three hazard flags migrants ought to concentrate on to keep away from falling into these networks: there are some warning indicators {that a} fraudulent lawyer or legal professional could also be concerned in fraud when attempting to earn money transactions, they don’t seem to be listed within the New York lawyer listing, or refusing to translate or permit shoppers to learn paperwork earlier than signing them.
In line with a report from the Company Brooklyn District Lawyer’s Workplace Anti-Immigration Fraud Unit, At the least 9 forms of fraud towards migrants have been described.
That motion is with each migration circulatenot solely are the dangers growing, however different traps are rising that concentrate on sure teams, who apparently get pleasure from immigration aid as a consequence of circumstances as your nationwide origin.
So, because the authorities have warned, we’re in occasions when extra orientation campaigns are wanted to new communities.
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In occasions migration disaster, when the Massive Apple has greater than 200 thousand new immigrants largely from Latin America, regardless of the assist provided by the Metropolis with free authorized clinics and intensive info assets, There are all the time unlucky tales of people that, apparently on the lookout for sooner routes, get scammed.
The Dominican Asenet Gómez, director of the group El Puente, who has been working together with the Brooklyn prosecutor’s workplace, for particular authorized help periods, explaining with anguish why it’s essential to redouble the warnings presently. On daily basis you get information about individuals who, in a really doubtful approach, promise to hurry up the alleged immigration procedures.
“It’s a double crime to reap the benefits of somebody’s desperation to rule themselves. That is why we’ve got to carry out earlier than making any choice, individuals speak to trusted organizations and establishments.”he introduced.
Asenet says that within the 80s, when he arrived along with his mom from the island, his household was a sufferer of fraud, though now, even though there are extra info assets, via social networks, Migrants are nonetheless the goal of scams, fraud and scams value 1000’s of {dollars}.
“Just lately, for instance, we’ve got acquired instances from Ecuadorians, who ask us the best way to apply Momentary Protected Standing (TPS)when that aid is just not even accepted by the federal authorities. “Social networks are a double-edged sword, as a result of every kind of engaging and beneficial, but additionally false, gives seem there.” he reaffirmed.
“No bribes right here”
The actions in NY determine that every time immigration aid is introducedmanagers seem instantly, and in lots of instances fraudulent legal professionals, who take benefit not solely of deceiving those that apply for standing administration packages, however they deceive those that will not be worthy of the regulation in any approach, till they start procedures that solely finish in frustration and the lack of massive sums of cash.
Earlier than it was introduced new immigration administration insurance policieswith the White Home, particularly for the spouses of Americans and the ‘dreamers’, neighborhood teams that had been towards immigrants, began to ship out a transparent message: Confirm the identification of immigration care suppliers very effectively.
Along with this particular benefit, in immigration instances there are numerous particular options and conditions the place scammers can take benefit. Certainly one of them, and maybe essentially the most well-known one, is that particularly for newcomers, in lots of their international locations of origin, they’ve a deep tradition the place “Virtually all the things is feasible” with a bribe to a public official.
For instance, the Claudia Gómez Venezuelan, 28 years outdated, He says he nearly misplaced his “4 cents” as a result of one other man informed him he would organize “all the things” for him to use for TPS, whatever the sure that they’d not arrived in the US, inside the deadlines for receiving that non permanent safety.
“Fortunately I consulted an actual lawyer and he informed me that was loopy. What we’re used to is that in our international locations, all the things is a multitude and something is feasible. We have now to know that there are legal guidelines right here, that that is sluggish. And if somebody comes and tells you it is easy, they’re mendacity to you.” rationalize the migration.
9 Dominicans dedicated a rip-off
There are tons of of instances in current months. The Brooklyn District Lawyer’s Workplace introduced final yr {that a} Crown Heights, Brooklyn, legal professional who makes a speciality of immigration issues, He had been formally accused of robbing 9 of his shoppers, All Dominicans, as they proceed to follow regulation even though it has been banned within the state of New York.
Following an investigation on the defendant’s workplace in March 2023, the victims reported that the defendant stole cash from them in quantities starting from 8,000 and 800 {dollars}.
Brooklyn prosecutor Eric González stated that in accordance with the investigation, the accused was disqualified on November 29, 2022, after an investigation by the New York Legal professionals Grievance Committee, to search out that filed false and frivolous immigration petitions.
The defendant was ordered to cease the regulation. He additionally needed to inform his shoppers that he was banned. And that he suggested them to search for a brand new lawyer.
Nonetheless, it’s alleged that the accused breached the order and continued to function a regulation workplace there 1179 Jap Parkway and Crown Heightswhereas promoting “Salis Regulation PC” on-line.
The prosecutor recognized the accused as Owolabi Salis, 60 years outdated. He was charged with grand larceny within the third and fourth levels, prison contempt within the second diploma, scheme to defraud within the first diploma and immigration help companies fraud within the first diploma.
The investigators discovered that the accused was often He opened his workplace at evening and stayed open till after midnight, attracting lengthy traces of potential prospects, lots of whom work in the course of the day.
The defendant allegedly continued to symbolize former shoppers, most of whom had been Hispanic, and billed them for numerous authorized companies associated to their immigration standing, with out even telling them he was banned and with out advising them to get a brand new lawyer.
One other case in Brooklyn: $38,000 at stake
A case that additionally appeared just lately in Brooklyn was that of a girl who was accused of swindling $38,000 to a gaggle of victims from Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, India and Kazakhstan to him, roughly between Could 2022 and August 2023, he falsely promised to assist them to inexperienced card and in different instances Momentary Protected Standing (TPS).
The prices of the alleged companies, per particular person, ranged from $4,500 to $16,250.
The victims knew the accused once they requested for a session with a regulation agencythe place she labored as a paralegal, based mostly in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Prosecutor’s reviews specify.
After allegedly amassing preliminary funds from victims, The defendant didn’t file a petition with the US Citizenship and Immigration Providers.. He’s stated to have made excuses or ignored calls and textual content messages from unsuspecting individuals, who had been in search of updates on the standing of their instances.
In line with a press release from the prosecutor’s workplace, the accused later got here “to the extent that they threaten to report two undocumented individuals to the authorities of immigration, when she felt they had been underneath strain.”
The alleged fraud got here to mild after one of many migrants despatched a textual content message to the regulation agency to observe up on the standing of their case. saying that he met the accused to rent the corporate.
After the corporate’s actual legal professionals investigated the matter, they discovered a number of paperwork associated to the alleged fraudulent actions and They reported the plot to the Brooklyn prosecutor’s workplace.
Brooklyn District Lawyer Eric Gonzalez and New York Particular Agent in Cost of Homeland Safety Investigations Ivan J. Arvelo final yr a lawsuit towards this paralegalat that regulation agency, for allegedly stealing 1000’s of {dollars} from potential shoppers of the agency by falsely promising to supply authorized companies at a decrease fee.
Certainly, it’s claimed that it’s the lady didn’t do any authorized work for them. And he didn’t current any petition. It’s stated in two of the instances, She falsely claimed to be a lawyer.
Verify, seek the advice of, keep away from fraud…
- The Brooklyn tax is encouraging anybody within the metropolis who thinks they could have been a sufferer of a rip-off to name the helpline Catholic Charities This Wednesday, July 17, an exercise that will likely be supported by the Highlanders Affiliation Workplace of New Individuals in New York, NYC Workplace of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), Univision 41 NY and El Diario. The nuhThe quantity to be known as will likely be introduced on the identical day.
- Brooklyn residents can all the time file a grievance by contacting the District Lawyer’s Motion Middle at 718-250-2340.
- ActionNYC gives free, safe immigration authorized testing in your neighborhood, in your personal language. Go to nyc.gov/actionnyc no name 311 and say “ActionNYC.”
- Contact the New York State Immigration Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 or 1-212-419-3737 for info on free immigration recommendation.
- Anybody who believes they could have been the sufferer of fraud is inspired to report it by filling out a kind with the New York Metropolis Lawyer’s Workplace, calling 1-800-771-7755
2024-07-15 14:30:00
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