A man seeking permanent legal status in the United States says he lost nearly $14,000 after a caller claiming to be an immigration attorney promised to get him a green card within three months.
Isaias Guevara, who is originally from Guatemala and has a temporary work permit, told NBC10 Philadelphia that the call came from an unknown number. The caller said he was a lawyer and offered to help Guevara obtain permanent residency.
Guevara believed the offer was real and began sending money. He said the supposed attorney communicated mostly through WhatsApp, showed him what appeared to be immigration documents, and later claimed his application had been approved.
The documents never arrived. Months later, Guevara said his calls and messages went unanswered.
The Caller Promised a Green Card Within Three Months
Guevara said the person who called him claimed he could help him get residency in the United States.
“He say he’s going to help me to get the residence,” Guevara told NBC10 Responds.
The caller allegedly guaranteed a green card within three months, according to NBC10. Guevara said he trusted the process and kept sending money because he believed his case was moving forward.
The WhatsApp Messages Included Fake Immigration Screenshots
Most of the communication happened through WhatsApp, Guevara told NBC10. He said he received meeting invitations and screenshots that appeared to show emails and correspondence from U.S. immigration authorities.
He also participated in what he believed was a virtual court hearing. The setup looked professional to him because the man spoke from a desk with American flags behind him, according to NBC10.
Those details helped make the process feel official, even though the first contact had come from an unknown caller.
The Fake Approval Came Before the Silence
In December, about three months after the first call, Guevara said the man told him his application had been approved.
Guevara said the man showed him what appeared to be a green card and a Social Security card. He was told the documents would arrive in the mail within five to seven days.
Months passed without the documents arriving. When Guevara tried to contact the supposed attorney for updates, his calls and messages went unanswered.
“That’s when I thought was that this is fake,” Guevara told NBC10.
An Immigration Advocate Pointed to the Red Flags
Amy Eusebio, a member of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition and former executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, told NBC10 that guaranteed results are a major warning sign in immigration cases.
“No qualified attorney will ever say that they could guarantee the result of your immigration paperwork,” Eusebio said.
She also warned about unsolicited calls from people offering immigration legal services.
“Never send any money to anyone before vetting them first and knowing they’re qualified to do immigration law,” Eusebio told NBC10.
Real Immigration Help Can Be Checked
The FTC says only an immigration attorney or a person authorized by the Department of Justice can give immigration legal advice in the United States. The USCIS Avoid Scams page warns applicants to be careful with anyone promising faster results, special access, or guaranteed immigration benefits.
The Department of Justice keeps rosters of recognized organizations and accredited representatives allowed to provide immigration legal services through its recognition and accreditation program.
Before sending money for immigration help, applicants can ask for a lawyer’s license number, verify the attorney through the state bar, check whether a representative is DOJ-accredited, and use official USCIS tools to check case status. WhatsApp screenshots, video calls, flags in the background, and a caller’s promise of a fast green card are not proof that the person is qualified to handle an immigration case.