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Family scammed by fake AI immigration attorney
A family says it lost about $10,000 to a supposed immigration attorney who appeared to be an AI-generated avatar.
A family trying to help a loved one held at the Adelanto immigration detention center says they paid $10,000 to someone they believed was an immigration attorney, only to discover the person they had been communicating with was an AI-generated avatar.
The family found the supposed attorney on Facebook, where the account featured what they described as glowing reviews.
They communicated with the woman through video calls, shared documents and were told the detainee could be released from custody after paying a $4,355 bond. But the family later learned the documents had not been filed with the court, according to Marena Lin, who is now helping the family.
What we know:
Lin, a former congressional candidate for California's 32nd Congressional District and a software engineer, says she became suspicious when she reviewed video of the woman communicating with the detainee's mother.
Lin says she believes the woman shown in the video was an AI-generated avatar.
"I use AI to code," Lin said. "I am at least peripherally aware of the latest models. It's growing increasingly scary how lifelike it is."
The family was given documents that appeared to be legal filings. One document stated the detainee had been granted release from custody under a $4,355 bond. But Lin says the family eventually discovered the documents had never actually been filed with the court. One document also contained an apparent red flag: At the top, the words "United States of Americ..." appear cut off.
Other documents appeared more convincing, Lin said, making the scam difficult to recognize. The family says they ultimately lost about $10,000.
What they're saying:
Immigration attorney James DeSimone says scams targeting immigrants are a serious concern because people in detention can be particularly vulnerable.
"This is a problem that we have been aware of," DeSimone said, adding that it is especially prevalent in the immigration community because of how vulnerable people can be.
DeSimone says people should independently verify an attorney's identity and credentials before hiring them or sending money.
"It is very important that before you hire an attorney, before you send that attorney any money, that you do everything you can to verify that that attorney is in fact the person you want representing you," he said.
The State Bar of California maintains an online attorney search tool that allows consumers to check whether someone is licensed to practice law in California.
The backstory:
Lin says the family was devastated when they learned they had been deceived. But the family decided to come forward publicly in hopes of warning others, particularly families trying to help loved ones in immigration detention.
"I just think we really need to look out for each other," Lin said. "I think him coming forward with this story is incredibly brave. I hope it saves a lot more people from falling for these kinds of things."
The case comes as other reports have highlighted scams targeting immigrants seeking legal help online, including people who were allegedly provided convincing-looking legal documents and told they needed to make payments to secure a detained family member's release.
What's next:
The family is trying to determine what happened to the money they paid and who was behind the Facebook account and communications. The person presenting herself as the attorney was also using the license information of a real lawyer in another state. When we attempted to call the phone number listed on the Facebook profile, the call did not connect.