Protect Yourself From 

Immigration Scams

We do not want you to become the victim of an immigration scam. If you need legal 

advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is an attorney 

or accredited representative working for a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized 

organization. They are the only people authorized to give you legal advice. Visit 

the USCIS Avoid Scams page at uscis.gov/avoidscams for helpful information and 

resources. There are some common scams you should be aware of:

Government Impersonators: Be careful if someone says they are a USCIS official. 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.).

Misleading Offers of Support: Be careful if someone tries to contact you online or through 

your social media accounts to offer you support and services in exchange for a fee or other 

compensation. Similarly, be careful if anyone asks for your biographical information, such as 

your passport number or date of birth, through your social media accounts, to offer support 

or services to you. 

Scam Websites: Some websites claim to be affiliated with USCIS and offer step-by-step 

guidance on completing a USCIS form. Make sure the information is from uscis.gov, dhs.gov, 

or is affiliated with uscis.gov. Make sure the website address ends with .gov.

Payments by Phone or Email: USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. 

We do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, 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.

Notarios Públicos and Unauthorized Practitioners of Immigration Law: In the United 

States, a notario público is not authorized to provide you with any legal services related 

to immigration benefits. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a 

Department of Justice (DOJ)-recognized organization can give you legal advice. For more 

information about finding legal services, visit our website uscis.gov/scams-fraud-andmisconduct/avoid-scams/find-legal-services.
Protect Yourself From 

Personal Information Scams

Beware of individuals asking for personal information. Visit our Information for 

Afghan Nationals webpage at uscis.gov/allieswelcome for helpful information. 

When you review an email, always remember:

• We do not routinely send emails to inform you that we have approved you for a 

diversity visa, immigrant visa, nonimmigrant visa, or any other type of immigration 

benefit, except in certain situations. For example, USCIS may email you from a 

uscis.gov email address to prompt you to update your physical address.

• Email addresses from the U.S. government always end in .gov. Always check the 

sender information to make sure it ends in .gov.

Also remember:

• At the top of all USCIS websites, there is a message and image of a U.S. flag to let you 

know the website is an official government website; and

• If your personal information, such as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) 

or Social Security card, is delivered to an old or incorrect address, someone may steal 

your identity. If you did not receive an EAD that we mailed you, submit an inquiry on 

non-delivery of a card at egov.uscis.gov/e-request/Intro.do. If you suspect you have 

been a victim of Social Security fraud, visit the Social Security Fraud Prevention and 

Reporting website at ssa.gov/fraud.

• USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual or pay fees other than 

through your USCIS online account at my.USCIS.gov. You can verify that the USCIS 

online account is an official USCIS government account because the web address ends 

in .gov. 

Important Links

USCIS Avoid Scams

uscis.gov/avoidscams

DOJ Recognized Organizations and Accredited 

Representatives

justice.gov/eoir/recognized-organizations-andaccredited-representatives-roster-state-and-city