Fraudsters prey on vulnerable people’s urgent needs. Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight
Original Air Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Scams targeting immigrants proliferated during President Donald Trump’s first year in office, including in Southwest Florida. Suncoast Searchlight’s Alice Herman spoke with a Sarasota County resident who was defrauded in that kind of scheme.
Alice Herman: As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigration, attorneys warn that scams are on the rise. These scams are targeting vulnerable immigrants with promises of quick access to a secure future. Some fraudsters advertise their services on social media, while others reach out to potential targets directly. Many promise unusually fast access to work permits, permanent residence and even citizenship.
Fabiola, a Sarasota County resident, told Suncoast Searchlight how she was impacted by a scam.
Fabiola showed Suncoast Searchlight a screenshot of a virtual meeting with the person who claimed to be her attorney. Photo by Alice Herman for Suncoast Searchlight
After searching for an attorney to represent her in her asylum case, Fabiola found an advertisement on Facebook for a lawyer who would represent her at a low cost. She paid him about five hundred dollars and gave him paperwork, documents and a narrative statement about her daughter, whose father abused her, Fabiola alleges.
The attorney, who called himself Benjamin Gonzales, claimed to have a special relationship with the US government. He helped facilitate a virtual interview with US Citizenship and Immigration Services so she could secure a work permit.
It went smoothly.
“I didn’t have the slightest doubt,” Fabiola told Suncoast Searchlight in Spanish.
An advertisement for a purported immigration attorney’s law firm drew Fabiola in. Screenshot courtesy of Fabiola via Suncoast Searchlight
But when she called an official Department of Homeland Security number to check on the status of her work permit application, she was told no application existed. Meanwhile, Gonzales was messaging her repeatedly on WhatsApp, telling her she needed to wire him one thousand five hundred dollars or face deportation.
Fabiola cut contact with Gonzales.
Fraud experts and an attorney with the American Bar Association told Suncoast Searchlight there are red flags people should be aware of to avoid being scammed:
Be aware if a stranger wants to take you to a second location online—like moving the conversation to an encrypted app, like Fabiola’s so-called attorney did, on WhatsApp.
Ask to see your attorney’s credentials, ideally in person. If they say they are based in Florida, check the Florida bar lawyer directory.
Scams targeting immigrants are on the rise, lawyers and activists warn. Photo by star_way via iStock
In Latin America, notarios publicos have a high degree of legal training. In the United States, notaries should not be offering immigration legal services.
Always check in with a trusted friend or family member before sending anyone a large sum of money or making a large purchase.
And, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Reporting for Suncoast Searchlight, this is Alice Herman.
To read the full report, go to suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-immigration-scams-fraud.
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