Scams Target Haitian Americans
The Embassy of Haiti and the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee and New York State Consumer Protection Board are offering this caution to Haitian Americans in this country concerned about loved ones in Haiti:
1. Haitians living in the United States are being targeted by a scam that convinces them to pay money with the promise of getting their relatives to this country, the Embassy of Haiti and the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee announced.
Potential victims are contacted by phone or with fliers passed around in Haitian communities. They are told that if they wire $500, in return they will receive a package of documents and a confirmation number permitting them to go to the devastated island nation and bring five relatives to the United States.
The committee and the embassy are also warning people to beware of any offer promising to fly people out of Haiti.
A spokesperson for the committee says the scam is nationwide and particularly prevalent in large Haitian American communities.
It is common for scams to develop around a tragedy. Con artists know people are ready to reach into their pockets to make donations or help loved ones.
If you are targeted by this scam, you are asked to contact the FBI's disaster fraud hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by e-mail disaster@leo.gov.
2. A new scam targeting Haitian Americans trying to bring their relatives from the earthquake-riddled country to the United States has surfaced, authorities warned today.
Haitian Americans contacted in the scheme are offered documents they supposedly need to bypass the official government process to bring family members from the devastated island to America, according to the office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Victims in the scheme, who are reportedly handed fliers or reached by phone, are told to wire $500 in exchange for the documents and a confirmation number that will allegedly allow them to fly to Haiti and bring five relatives home.
But the promised documents and flight are phony, according to the Haitian Embassy in Washington and the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee. They said this scam is simply a new twist to the old advance fee scheme.
Haitian Americans who want to bring their relatives from the earthquake-ravaged country to the United States should contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at (800) 375-5283. They can also contact the agency online at www.uscis.gov.
