[huridocs-tech] UNHCR warns against Internet resettlement scams

GENEVA, November 15 (UNHCR) – Unscrupulous individuals are using elaborate
internet scams to prey on vulnerable people by offering them resettlement
in exchange for money, the UN refugee agency warned on Tuesday.

"Bogus organizations, claiming affiliation to UNHCR, are using internet
chat groups, dating websites and fake websites to promise resettlement and
employment opportunities in Europe and North America for a fee," UNHCR
spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva. "These are scams,"
she said.

In a typical internet resettlement fraud, the cyber conmen infiltrate chat
rooms, special interest groups and dating websites, looking for men and
women in African, Latin American and Asian countries who may be interested
in emigrating to an industrialized country. They then try to make their
potential victims believe a member of the opposite sex is interested in
them and can help them find work in the country of their choice. The
fraudsters write to their potential victims from temporary e-mail accounts
and lure them into visiting phony websites which purport to belong to
UNHCR or other international organizations.

These fake websites provide deceptive information about resettlement and
employment programmes for refugees. The unsuspecting victim is encouraged
by their internet "friend" to apply to these sham resettlement programmes
by paying an "administrative fee" which ranges from around US$100 to as
much as US$1,000. People are sometimes offered a "discount" if they can
persuade between five and 15 other people to join the programme.

Once the victim has been cheated out of their money, the conmen plunge
into the depths of the internet, only to resurface later under another
guise, ready to ensnare others.

There is always a risk of fraud in migration programmes. Governments have
long recognized that people wanting to migrate will resort to exploiting
vulnerabilities in admission procedures and systems. At the same time,
desperate refugees can fall victim to fraudulent schemes offering them a
quick-fix solution to their plight.

UNHCR has been combatting these and other forms of fraud for some time. A
Resettlement Anti-Fraud Plan of Action was introduced in June 2004. "It is
very important to alert potential victims about such swindles," said
Hiromitsu Mori, who coordinates efforts to prevent and combat fraud in the
resettlement process. "People should also know that UNHCR never charges
refugees for resettlement or any other services."

UNHCR's resettlement policy is part of the agency's refugee protection
mandate. Its aim is to provide international protection and meet the needs
of refugees whose life, liberty, health, safety or other fundamental human
rights are at risk. It is also designed to be a durable solution to the
plight of refugees – together with other solutions such as voluntary
return to their country of origin when conditions permit or local
integration in the host country. It is also a means by which one country
can help alleviate the pressures on another facing a large refugee influx.

However, despite efforts to expand the number of places available,
resettlement is only available to a relatively small proportion of the
world's refugees – usually the most vulnerable. Millions of other people
would love to benefit from it –including other refugees as well as
migrants seeking to move for economic reasons – and this has created a
market for unscrupulous internet operators seeking to exploit their
aspirations.

"What these fraudsters are doing is effectively preying on some of the
world's most vulnerable people," said Wil Eikelboom, from the UNHCR Legal
Affairs Section. "That is why we are so concerned about these scams. If we
don't root them out immediately, this could become an even bigger
problem."

That will not be easy, however. As well as being an ever-growing source of
quick and useful information, the internet provides many opportunities for
criminals to take advantage of the unwary, while remaining anonymous.
"Almost as soon as we manage to get one of these phony websites closed,
another one pops up elsewhere," Eikelboom said.

UNHCR says it will continue to alert potential victims of resettlement
fraud by providing them with timely and accurate information, as well as
by monitoring trends or patterns of fraud around the globe. UNHCR also
reserves the right to take legal action against individuals or
organizations that pretend to act on its behalf.

"Just to be clear, UNHCR never charges refugees for resettlement..."
Pagonis stressed to reporters. "Resettlement to a third country is used by
UNHCR usually for particularly vulnerable refugee cases. Any websites
claiming to be associated with UNHCR and charging for resettlement
services are fraudulent."

UNHCR said it would be interested to hear from anyone who comes across
sites misusing its name or logo, or otherwise attempting to gain money in
return for a promise of resettlement. Anyone with such information should
contact the UNHCR webmaster.

 

 
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