Scams and how to check
This page quotes official pages word for word and links to them. It does not judge any letter, website or person. Every quotation shows the page's own date and the day we read it.
What USCIS says about common scams
Quoted from the USCIS “Common Scams” page. Compare what you received with what USCIS itself says.
Addresses, payments, contact, “notarios”
“Social media pages, email offers, and websites that claim to be affiliated with USCIS may be impersonating USCIS. Make sure the website or email address ends with .gov.”“We will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. We do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards as payment for immigration fees. In addition, we will never ask you to pay fees to a person on the phone or by email. You can pay some immigration fees online, but only if you pay through your USCIS online account and Pay.gov.”“Look out for individuals who pose as USCIS officials. USCIS will only contact you through official government channels and will not contact you through your personal social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).”“A notario público is not authorized to provide you with any legal services related to immigration. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice recognized organization can give you legal advice and represent you in your immigration case.”“Do not pay for immigration forms. They are free and available to everyone on our All Forms webpage.”Uniting for Ukraine
“We began accepting applications under Uniting for Ukraine in April 2022. We have received reports of email phishing scams targeting potential participants in Uniting for Ukraine. The scams are urging supporters to pay a fee before USCIS reviews their Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support.”“We do not charge a fee for the filing of a Form I-134A.”“Beware of denial letters with typos and other signs of not being official USCIS correspondence.”“Beneficiaries are not obligated to repay, reimburse, work for, serve, marry, or otherwise compensate their supporter in exchange for the potential supporter submitting Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, on their behalf or for providing financial support while they are in the United States.”TPS re-registration
“Do not pay for or submit any form until USCIS publishes a Federal Register notice with official TPS re-registration information for your country. Stay updated at our TPS webpage.”What GAO found about “shell applications”
From a December 2025 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on fraud risks in the supporter-based parole processes.
GAO-26-107433 · HUMANITARIAN PAROLE: DHS Identified Fraud Risks in Parole Processes for Noncitizens and Should Assess Lessons Learned
“Some filers under Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) and Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) submitted supporter applications with fraudulent and incomplete information solely for the purpose of exacting a fee from the prospective beneficiaries—rather than to establish their ability to serve as supporters.”“These “shell applications” lacked key evidence and were unlikely to be confirmed by USCIS reviewers.”“For example, FDNS reported that one Ukrainian beneficiary paid about $5,000 to a filer for an application that USCIS later confirmed.”FTC handouts in Ukrainian and Russian
The Federal Trade Commission publishes translated PDFs. Titles are shown exactly as the FTC lists them.
Reporting by phone, in the FTC's own words:
“Телефонуйте за номером 877-382-4357 з 9:00 до 17:00 за східноєвропейським часом. Натисніть 3, щоб отримати список мов, а потім 0, щоб вибрати інші мови. Попросіть когось, кому ви довіряєте, допомогти вам написати повідомлення англійською мовою на ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”“Звоните по телефону 877-382-4357 с 9:00 до 17:00 по восточному времени (ET). Нажмите кнопку 3 для получения списка языков. Либо попросите кого-либо из знакомых, кому вы доверяете, помочь вам составить сообщение на английском языке на веб-сайте ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”Where to report
Federal
“We encourage the public to report any suspected fraud, abuse, or activities involving aliens that threaten or undermine the United States, its government, citizens, or institutions.”
USCISPage shows no date · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page The page is an application and prints no text to quote; linked only.
EOIR Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program
“The Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program (Fraud Program) is a centralized place to make complaints about issues of fraud, immigration scams, and the unauthorized practice of immigration law (frequently committed by notarios, immigration consultants, or so-called “travel agents”).”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated February 8, 2024 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page
State offices
| State | Office | Phone | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division | 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226) | Open the page |
| New York | Office of the New York State Attorney General, Immigration Services Fraud Unit | 1-800-771-7755 | Open the page |
| California | California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit | (800) 952-5225 | Open the page |
| Washington | Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Resource Center | 1-800-551-4636 | Open the page |
| Illinois | Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Hotline | 1-800-386-5438 (Chicago), 1-800-243-0618 (Springfield), 1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale) | Open the page |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs | 1-800-242-5846 (toll-free within N.J.) or 973-504-6200 | Open the page |
“Any citizen who believes he or she has been a victim should call the Attorney General's Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226)”“We encourage any who have been scammed to report complaints by calling the office at 1-800-771-7755 or filling out a complaint form.”“Public Inquiry Unit Voice: (916) 210-6276 or (Toll-free in California) (800) 952-5225”“Do not give money or personal information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you claiming that there is a problem with your immigration matter. No federal or state agency, including USCIS, will ever ask for your personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or text.”“The Washington Attorney General’s Consumer Resource Center accepts complaints about immigration scams and the unauthorized practice of law. Victims may file a complaint online at www.atg.wa.gov or call 1-800-551-4636 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays.”“To check the status of a Services Provider or file a complaint, please call us.”“Chicago 1-800-386-5438 Springfield 1-800-243-0618 Carbondale 1-800-243-0607”“Immigration Services Providers must register with the Illinois Attorney General's Office.”“To report immigration scams, call the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846 (toll-free within N.J.) or at 973-504-6200.”Phone numbers were read from each office's own page on the day shown. USCIS keeps a fuller table for every state, with this caveat:
“Although we attempted to verify the information contained in these listings, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of all phone numbers, web addresses, and other information.”Check who is representing you
Three public lists, with USCIS's own instructions quoted. A name is looked up on those sites by the reader; this site does not look it up and does not draw a conclusion.
State licensing agency, via the American Bar Association directory
“To verify if the individual offering you immigration legal services is a licensed attorney, the American Bar Association provides information about attorneys by state. You may also verify with their state bar association if they have been disciplined or are disbarred attorneys.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “Before hiring an attorney, ask to see the attorney’s current licensing document, and verify through the state agency where they are licensed that they are eligible to practice law.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page DOJ Recognition & Accreditation rosters
“If someone claims to be an authorized representative, visit the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Recognition & Accreditation (R&A) Program, where you will find the Accredited Representative Roster.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “Recognized Organizations List (PDF)”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated April 28, 2025 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “Accredited Representatives List (PDF)”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated April 28, 2025 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “Organizations and Representatives, Listed by State (PDF)”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated April 28, 2025 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page EOIR list of currently disciplined practitioners
“In the United States, notary publics are not attorneys and cannot represent you in legal matters, including immigration cases.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “For more information about a practitioner's disciplinary history, click on the hyperlinked date.”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated September 21, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page
UFU does not decide whether anything is a scam and does not rate lawyers, websites or letters. It shows the official text and where to look.
Questions people ask
- Is there a fee to file Form I-134A for Uniting for Ukraine?
USCIS states its own fee for Form I-134A on its Common Scams page, and also describes the phishing emails that ask for one. Both sentences are quoted here:
“We do not charge a fee for the filing of a Form I-134A.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “We began accepting applications under Uniting for Ukraine in April 2022. We have received reports of email phishing scams targeting potential participants in Uniting for Ukraine. The scams are urging supporters to pay a fee before USCIS reviews their Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - Does a sponsor have to be paid, or repaid, for filing Form I-134A?
USCIS sets out what a beneficiary owes a supporter. Its sentence is quoted here in full:
“Beneficiaries are not obligated to repay, reimburse, work for, serve, marry, or otherwise compensate their supporter in exchange for the potential supporter submitting Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, on their behalf or for providing financial support while they are in the United States.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - How do I tell whether an email, website or caller is really USCIS?
USCIS describes the channels it uses and the ones it does not. Two of its sentences say how to check an address and what it will never do:
“Social media pages, email offers, and websites that claim to be affiliated with USCIS may be impersonating USCIS. Make sure the website or email address ends with .gov.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “Look out for individuals who pose as USCIS officials. USCIS will only contact you through official government channels and will not contact you through your personal social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - Can USCIS ask me to pay immigration fees by gift card, Venmo or Western Union?
USCIS lists the payment methods it takes and the ones it does not, in one sentence quoted here:
“We will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. We do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards as payment for immigration fees. In addition, we will never ask you to pay fees to a person on the phone or by email. You can pay some immigration fees online, but only if you pay through your USCIS online account and Pay.gov.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - Can a notario público handle my immigration case?
USCIS states what a notario público is authorised to do, and who may represent someone in an immigration case:
“A notario público is not authorized to provide you with any legal services related to immigration. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice recognized organization can give you legal advice and represent you in your immigration case.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - When can I re-register for TPS, and how do I know the notice is real?
USCIS names the one document that opens re-registration. Its sentence is quoted here:
“Do not pay for or submit any form until USCIS publishes a Federal Register notice with official TPS re-registration information for your country. Stay updated at our TPS webpage.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - How do I check that an immigration lawyer or representative is real?
The page links three public lists and quotes USCIS's own instructions for each. The reader does the lookup on those sites; this page draws no conclusion about any name.
“To verify if the individual offering you immigration legal services is a licensed attorney, the American Bar Association provides information about attorneys by state. You may also verify with their state bar association if they have been disciplined or are disbarred attorneys.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “If someone claims to be an authorized representative, visit the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Recognition & Accreditation (R&A) Program, where you will find the Accredited Representative Roster.”
USCISPage dated August 4, 2026 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page - Where do I report an immigration scam?
The page lists the federal channels with each one's own words, and a table of state offices in which every phone number appears inside that office's own quoted sentence.
“We encourage the public to report any suspected fraud, abuse, or activities involving aliens that threaten or undermine the United States, its government, citizens, or institutions.”
USCISPage shows no date · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page “The Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program (Fraud Program) is a centralized place to make complaints about issues of fraud, immigration scams, and the unauthorized practice of immigration law (frequently committed by notarios, immigration consultants, or so-called “travel agents”).”
U.S. Department of Justice, EOIRPage dated February 8, 2024 · Read by us September 22, 2026Open the page