Undocumented immigrants say they were scammed into paying for fake visas

Dozens of undocumented immigrants who claim they were scammed out of the American dream are seeking justice.

News 12 Staff

Jul 30, 2019, 9:31 PM

Updated 1,730 days ago

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Dozens of undocumented immigrants who claim they were scammed out of the American dream are seeking justice.
They claim they gave their money to Edwin Rivera in exchange for legal immigration status. But instead, they say Rivera scammed them out of thousands of dollars by allegedly providing them fake religious visas.
This is not the first time Rivera has been accused of immigration fraud. He was sent to jail in 2016, and ordered by the New York State Attorney General's Office to pay more than $30,000 to his victims.
These new alleged victims called on the Attorney General's Office once again to take action.
The undocumented immigrants News 12 spoke with say that by speaking out, they risk the chance of being deported. But they say they wanted to speak up to prevent a similar situation from happening to others.
In a statement, Attorney General Letitia James told News 12, "Edwin Rivera is a repeat offender who has cheated, defrauded and preyed upon vulnerable immigrants looking for legitimate help navigating the legal system."
News 12 reached out to Rivera for comment, but has not heard back.


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