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Resources Money, food, benefits and taxes

Avoiding scams

Newcomers in New York are most often cheated like this: an "easy" green card is promised, money is taken for free forms, someone calls "from the government" with threats, a cut of a tax refund is taken, or money is stolen from an EBT benefits card.

QARAVAN does not provide legal services and has no lawyers; we point people to organizations they can trust. If someone promises a specific result in an immigration case, that is a warning sign.

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  • Only a licensed lawyer or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) may give immigration legal advice. Go-betweens, translators, document preparation offices and “consultants”, including those advertising in Russian, may not.
  • Government forms are free. USCIS, the federal immigration agency, does not accept payment by Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo or gift cards.
  • Report immigration services fraud online: file a complaint with the New York State Attorney General through the form at ag.ny.gov/resources/individuals/consumer-issues/immigration-services-fraud. If you need to explain it in Russian, call the State's free hotline for immigrants, 800-566-7636: say "Russian" and a free interpreter joins.

  1. Beware of false promises

    Immigration law is complicated. Signs of fraud: promises of an easy green card, a work permit or a visa right away, claims of no risk, or boasts of special influence with immigration authorities. Fraud can come from attorneys and non-attorneys, and from callers posing as officials who threaten immigration consequences.

  2. What not to do

    Do not pay for government forms: they are free at uscis.gov/forms. Do not hand over original documents, only copies. Do not sign blank or incomplete forms, or papers you do not fully understand.

  3. Your story must be your own

    If someone offers you a ready-made story, someone else's story or invented details to make it convincing, walk away. If a judge finds that something material in your asylum application was deliberately made up, you lose any right to immigration benefits in the US forever, and you answer for it, not the person who wrote it. Before you sign, ask for the whole form to be read to you in Russian and correct anything that is wrong.

  4. What to do

    Ask questions, even if a relative or friend recommended the provider. Ask for proof that they are a licensed attorney or accredited or recognized by the Department of Justice. Get a second opinion. Go only to providers with a real office. Ask for a signed written agreement listing the services; read it before you sign and keep a copy. Get copies of all documents prepared for you and a written receipt with the provider's name and address.

  5. Know what State law forbids

    Under the New York State Immigrant Assistance Services Law, non-attorneys who help immigrants may not give legal advice or tell you how to answer immigration forms, claim or hint that they can influence immigration authorities, or charge for forms or for a referral to a lawyer. They must give you a written contract in a language you understand and post a multilingual sign about the limits of their services. You can cancel the contract and get a refund, your original documents and your immigration file back, even if there is a fee dispute.

  1. Do not pay strangers who say they are officials

    USCIS does not accept payment through Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo or gift cards and does not contact you from personal social media accounts. Real emails from government agencies come from addresses ending in .gov.

  2. Do not pay middlemen to "speed up" your case

    USCIS forms are free, and only USCIS decides on an expedite request. Do not pay a middleman who promises to speed up your case.

  3. Stop and check

    If someone threatens immigration consequences by phone or message, hang up and check on the agency's official website. Do not give card or account numbers until you are sure you are dealing with a real official.

  1. Tax preparers

    Under New York City rules a paid preparer must give you a written list of all charges before starting. They may not base the fee on your refund, guarantee a refund, or ask you to sign a blank or incomplete return. Free help exists too: NYC Free Tax Prep.

  2. EBT cards

    EBT scams are common. The City advises locking your card in the ebtEDGE app and unlocking it only before you buy, checking store terminals for skimmers, changing your PIN, checking your balance often and never giving out your EBT details by phone.

  3. Debt collectors, transfers and "credit repair"

    Check that a debt collector is real: it must name the creditor, the amount and how to dispute the debt. Do not pay for "credit repair": you can usually do the same yourself for free. If a transfer abroad goes wrong, you have 180 days to report it to the company.

  • New Americans Hotline

    Any statusFree

    New York State's free hotline for immigrants: report immigration fraud and learn how to spot it. Calls are anonymous, with interpreters in more than 200 languages: say "Russian" and a free interpreter joins. The City also names this number for reporting fraud.

    (800) 566-7636dos.ny.govMon–Fri 8 am–8 pm, Sat–Sun 9 am–5 pm

  • New York State Attorney General: Immigration Services Fraud

    Any statusFree

    The New York State Attorney General takes complaints about immigration services fraud through an online form (the File a complaint button on the agency's page); your identifying information is protected by state law. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-788-9898.

    ag.ny.gov

  • DCWP: immigration service providers

    Any statusNYC residentsFree

    Complain about an immigration service provider on the website of the City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), through its online form: a866-dcwpbp.nyc.gov/consumer-complaint/file-complaint (the complaint form also comes in Russian). You do not have to give your name or status. You can also report an attorney through 311.

    nyc.gov

  • U.S. Department of Justice: Recognition and Accreditation Rosters

    Any statusFree

    The official lists of organizations recognized by the Department of Justice and of accredited representatives: check whether your helper is listed. Accredited representatives work only through recognized organizations.

    justice.gov

  • USCIS: Avoid Scams

    Any statusFree

    The USCIS page on common scams: which payments USCIS does not accept and how to recognize a fake letter or call.

    uscis.gov

Frivolous application
An asylum application in which something material was deliberately made up. If a judge finds this, the person is permanently barred from immigration benefits in the US.
Accredited Representative
A non-attorney accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice to give immigration legal help; works only through an organization the Department recognizes.
Recognized Organization
A nonprofit organization that the U.S. Department of Justice has recognized to provide immigration legal help through its accredited representatives.
USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: the federal agency that decides immigration applications, such as for a green card.
EBT
Electronic Benefits Transfer: the electronic card on which benefits such as SNAP are loaded.
Skimmer
A device that thieves hide in a terminal to copy your card data.

This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.

All pages: Money, food, benefits and taxes

Sources, checked November 2026