Criminals are posing as representatives of Catholic Charities to target immigrants in the United States and steal money from them, sometimes taking tens of thousands of dollars after promising immigration services to desperate immigrants.
The scams have emerged in several states, where lawyers are struggling to protect immigrants from being ripped off by thieves posing as Catholic service providers.
Cecilia Baxter, an attorney with Hogar Immigrant Services at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, told EWTN News that the crimes have been going on since at least the summer of 2025.
He said, “Scammers are using the name, images and likeness of Catholic Charities USA – or simply using the Catholic Charities name in general – to defraud immigrants by promising them services and then not following through.”
Baxter said immigration law is “highly complex” and that people living in the country without authorization are “always looking for relief,” particularly legal status.
Meanwhile, many people who have legal status are “unsure about immigration law.”
Often, he said, the victim sees an ad on social media promising services from an immigration attorney who purportedly works for Catholic Charities. Most Catholic Charities affiliates provide a variety of immigration-related services, including legal assistance.
“For example, some (victims) are told they can qualify for a visa,” Baxter said. “They’ll reach out. They’ll get fake contracts, they’ll send money, and then they’ll never hear back.”
In some cases the amount of money stolen can amount to several hundred dollars. Baxter said the amount stolen in other cases has reached nearly $20,000.
“These people are desperate,” the lawyer said. “They’re reaching out to multiple sources, such as family, and sometimes getting themselves deeper into debt.”
‘I don’t think it’s getting better’
Reports of scams are not limited to Virginia.
Daniel Altenau, a spokesman for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, said the diocese is “hearing more and more cases of immigrants falling victim to scams using the Catholic Charities logo/material.”
Consuelo Quay, director of immigration services at the Raleigh charity, told EWTN News the crisis is “nationwide.”
He said he has heard from victims in Missouri, California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and other states. He confirmed that the scams have been active for at least a year.
Quay said many scams start on social media sites like Facebook. “They’re using our name, our logo, even the name of one of our staff members and our director,” he said.
“The scammer will contact via WhatsApp or text; most commonly WhatsApp,” he said. “They lure the customer in by saying everything will be free. Then they start asking for money, and they are very insistent.”
Some scammers use both Catholic Charities forms and official government immigration forms to defraud victims, he said.
“We’re desperate,” she admitted. “We find that people are so attracted to it.” He said that in one case a man contacted him crying after losing $40,000 over the course of a year while trying to bring his family to the United States.
“It’s horrible,” she said. “Terrifying.”
Advocates have taken steps to try to stop the scams. Baxter said Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese has issued A flyer warning about a fraud schemeUrge immigrants to avoid providing any information online to suspicious contacts.
The flyer, in both English and Spanish, instructs potential victims to contact Catholic Charities to report the scam and to notify banks and credit card companies if any financial information was shared. Baxter said victims can also talk to local bar agencies.
Quay said the Raleigh Diocese has taken similar steps, including a digital alert warning immigrants about the possibility of a scam.
Baxter admitted that the situation was “really suspicious”.
“I thought it was getting better,” she said. But the agency has reported several scams in recent weeks. “I don’t think it’s getting better. It feels like it’s just as bad, if not worse.”
He said scammers have become adept at posing as Catholic Charities officials.
“We have seen some of the documents (the victims) received,” he said. “At first glance, if you have an untrained eye, you can see how people fall into this trap. They’re using Catholic Charities USA’s watermark. They have the right words.”
“Or they will say the consultation is free but filing fees have to be paid,” she said. “They’re very smart.”
Baxter said this is a “scary time” for immigrants living in the country illegally. A massive immigration crackdown by the Trump administration has led to hundreds of thousands of deportations in 2025 and 2026.
The fearful environment means immigrants living in the country illegally are more afraid than usual to go to law enforcement, he said, even if they have been scammed out of thousands of dollars.
“They’re really scared,” she said. “They’re really scared.”
