Your safety online
Scammers imitate charities, government offices, consulates, employers and community groups. Households with a foreign-born story are targeted more than anyone. Here is how to be sure you are dealing with us, how to spot the common patterns, and what to do if something has already gone wrong.
Spot an impostor instantly.
- We will never ask you to pay a fee to receive help — our help is free, always.
- We will never ask for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps or cash.
- We will never ask for your immigration status, Social Security number, bank login or full card number.
- We will never contact you from a personal email, a WhatsApp number or a social-media account claiming to be us.
- We will never pressure you to decide "today or never".
- We will never promise visas, work permits, green cards or any immigration outcome.
Our only official addresses
If a message does not come from one of these domains, it is not from us.
- tas-foundation.org — TAS Foundation (this site), email help@tas-foundation.org
- togetherandstronger.org — Together and Stronger, the membership association
- tasservicesinc.org — TAS Member Services, the business arm
Our only phone number is (213) 557-4575. A caller-ID can be faked; if in doubt, hang up and call that number yourself.
Scams that target households with a foreign-born story.
The impostor official
A call or message from 'immigration', 'the IRS', 'the police', 'the consulate' or 'Social Security' saying you owe money, there is a problem with your case, or a relative is detained — and that paying now fixes it. Government agencies do not demand payment by phone, gift card or transfer, and do not threaten arrest for non-payment.
- Hang up. Call the agency on its published number.
- Never pay to 'clear' a case.
The notario / fake lawyer
Someone who is not a licensed attorney or accredited representative promises to fix your papers, get a work permit or a green card, for a fee, and often files nothing or files something harmful. In many Latin American countries a 'notario' is a lawyer; in the United States a notary public is not.
- Verify a lawyer with the State Bar of California.
- Verify a representative on the Department of Justice list.
- Get a written contract and receipts.
The job that costs money
A job offer that requires you to pay for training, equipment, a background check, a visa or a 'placement fee' up front. Legitimate employers do not charge you to work. Recruitment fees are also a trafficking indicator.
- Never pay to get a job.
- Report to the Fair Work Initiative.
The family emergency
A call that a grandchild, cousin or friend is in jail, in hospital or stranded abroad and needs money now, often with a voice that sounds real. Voice cloning makes this convincing.
- Hang up and call the person directly.
- Agree a family code word in advance.
The fake charity or association
Appeals after a disaster or death that copy a real organisation's name and logo. Crisis periods are scam periods.
- Give only through the organisation's own website.
- Ask us to verify an appeal before sending money.
The romance or investment 'friend'
Months of friendly messages, then an investment opportunity, a crypto platform, or a crisis that needs money. The platform shows profits you can never withdraw.
- Never invest through someone you met online.
- Never send money to someone you have not met.
The rental that does not exist
An apartment at a good price, a landlord who is 'abroad', a deposit to hold it before you see it.
- Never pay before seeing the unit and meeting the landlord.
- Verify ownership through county records.
The remittance and 'account problem'
A message that your money transfer is blocked, your bank account is locked or your package is held, with a link to 'verify'. The link steals your login.
- Never click; open the app or website yourself.
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
The lottery, grant or inheritance
You have won, or qualify for, money — but must pay a fee, tax or transfer charge first. There is never money.
- Real grants and prizes never require payment.
- Delete and block.
Five checks that stop most scams.
Pause
Urgency is the scammer's main tool. Nothing legitimate is lost by saying 'I will call you back' and taking an hour.
Check the address
Look at the actual email domain and the actual website address, letter by letter. Copies use look-alike names.
Call the published number
Find the organisation's number yourself — on its website, on a bill, on this page — and call it. Never use the number in the message.
Refuse unusual payment
Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, payment apps to a stranger, cash by courier: these are the payment methods of scams, not of institutions.
Ask us
Forward the message to help@tas-foundation.org. We check it for free, usually the same day.
Workshops and materials.
We run scam-awareness sessions for association members and families, in English, Spanish or French, on site or online, and we provide printable one-page checklists in all three languages. Together and Stronger's Scam Watch tracks current scam patterns and alerts. Request a workshop.
Need help today?
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