Police say they have uncovered fraudulent trafficking in US immigration cards

Oct. 3, 2014, 1:25 p.m. | Ukraine — by Oksana Grytsenko

Police say they have uncovered a fraud network trafficking illegally in American Green Cards, or immigration work permits. It was based in Ternopoli.
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Ukraine's law enforcement authorities say they have uncovered an international fraud chain based in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which managed to cheat thousands of people willing to emigrate to the United States.

Police reported on Oct. 2 that a group of some 10 people worked for 10 years under the brand of tourist firm Hermes, whose office is located in Ternopil.

The group’s main activity was selling of the so-called Green Cards, the U.S. immigration permits, which are given out by the U.S. government worldwide on lottery basis.

Even though the service is free of charge, the suspects found a way to make money on it.

Using the data of thousands of Ukrainians, which they illegally collected in different companies, the suspects filed mass applications for Green Cards to get the winning codes. Then they were selling the winning codes to people eager to live in the U.S. and ready to pay for them.

“The prices varied from $4,500 up to $12,000 depending on ability to pay,” the press service of the Interior Ministry said in the report.

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Willing to start a new life in prosperous America, many residents of Ternopil Oblast and some other regions, where Hermes opened its branches, gave out their last savings.

For those who were not able to pay, the criminals offered to take loans on bail of their apartments in specially organized credit units. If these people were not able to pay on their loans, the specially hired lawyers were taking over their flats “using their corrupt links in law enforcement bodies and courts,” the report said.

Their accomplices in the United States were allegedly terrorizing the newcomers from Ukraine by taking over their papers and hiring them for low-income jobs. The report said that up to 200 Ukrainians, who suffered from activity of fraudsters, now reside in the U.S.

Ukrainian police are now preparing a further investigation together with the American colleges as the visa fraud case is currently being investigated in the U.S. as well.

The police also found evidence that fraudsters were involved in laundering of over Hr 2 million, the report said. The police opened criminal cases of fraud, money laundering and creation of fictitious businesses.

After carrying out 25 searched in this firm the police found a number of evidences, including stamps of fictitious companies, bank cards and loan recites. Two suspects have already received the notifications from the police.

Police also asking those who fell victim to Hermes to report them to the local police offices, calling 38-0352-27-12-15, 38-096-430-40-44 in Ternopil or at 38-044-461-16-27 in Kyiv.

http://mvs.gov.ua/mvs/control/main/uk/publish/article/1171146