#visa-fraud

#visa-fraud

The scheme began in March 2023, when Rambhai Patel, then 36, carried out staged armed robberies with co-conspirators at at least six convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and other states. Prosecutors said the robberies were designed to help store clerks falsely claim they were victims of violent crimes in applications for U nonimmigrant status, commonly known as a U visa.

The FBI has accused a Louisiana resident of participating in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 then lying about his past and fraudulently obtaining a visa to live in the US. According to a recently unsealed FBI criminal complaint, Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al-Muhtadi armed himself and gathered a group to cross from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel during the attack that left more than 1,200 people dead.

They urge holidaymakers to purchase travel insurance as soon as they book a trip to cover themselves for any issues. Tourists are advised to check the policy 'carefully to ensure it covers fraud and cancellations'. Verifying when the cover starts is also important, as it may be from the time of the booking or the start of the trip which could impact protection from scams.

Federal prosecutors have indicted five individuals in Louisiana, including current and former police chiefs, for a scheme involving bogus police reports that enabled immigrants to apply for U-visas in exchange for money.

"For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate, a luxury that his victims will never have."