By Maribel Velazquez
The Immigration scams have registered an alarming increase during Donald Trump’s second term, driven by the tightening of immigration policies and the climate of fear faced by millions of immigrants. An investigation of ProPublica reveals that These fraud networks have not only multiplied, but have also become more sophisticated, using artificial intelligence, social networks and identity theft to deceive their victims.
Data of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) show that reports of immigration-related scams practically doubled: they went from an annual average of 960 between 2021 and 2024 to around 2,000 in 2025. In that same period, reported losses exceeded $94 million, although experts warn that the valid figure could be much higher because many victims do not report for fear of being deported.
The aforementioned media reported on the case of Jasmir Urbina, which starkly reflects this problem. The woman, originally from Nicaragua and seeking asylum, she was looking correct sort advice in the midst of immigration operations when he found an advertisement on Facebook that supposedly belonged to Catholic Charities. Through WhatsApp, she was contacted by a woman who presented herself as a lawyer. For weeks, Urbina trusted the process, paid almost 10,000 dollars and believed he had obtained the correct sort residency after an alleged virtual hearing.
The reality was different. The “lawyer” disappeared, the documents never arrived and Urbina ended up detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service after failing to appear at his official hearing. She was later deported to Nicaragua. “The biggest thing is desperation; that’s really what’s driving all of this,” explained Chris Ross, director of Catholic Charities.
This type of fraud, known as “notary” scamis based on a cultural confusion: in many Latin American countries, a notary has similar functions to those of a lawyer, making it easier for criminals to falsify credentials and promise quick solutions. Today, however, The scheme has evolved. Scammers use profiles with photographs generated by artificial intelligence, create fake pages with an institutional appearance and even simulate virtual hearings with supposed officials.
“They have designed a perfectly oiled machine,” warned Charity Anastasio, counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. According to the expert, many of these ads are specifically aimed at Spanish-speaking communities on platforms such as Facebook and TikTok.
The authorities have issued alerts. He Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) He insists that he does not use applications like WhatsApp for official procedures and recommends always verifying sources. “Anyone who impersonates a federal agent will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” indicated the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite this, the phenomenon continues to expand. For thousands of immigrants, the urgency to regularize their situation, combined with the fear of deportation, makes them easy targets. In this scenario, immigration scams not only represent an economic crime, but also a silent humanitarian crisis.
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