Double identities, stolen benefits, extortion attempts, forged credentials – no, it’s not an episode of your favorite crime drama. Rather, it’s a day in the life of the 40 fraud investigators in ten consular sections who root out unlawful tourists, uncover false claims to citizenship, and protect well-intentioned travelers from predatory middlemen who peddle their “help” to innocent applicants.

In fiscal year 2007, Mission Mexico investigated almost 16,000 cases of suspected fraud. Investigators in Monterrey discovered that a job recruiter had extorted legitimate temporary workers for more than $60,000 in connection with their visa applications. In Mexico City, a local hospital was interested to learn that we had unmasked one of their surgeons as a fraud for using fake professional credentials. And in Tijuana, we helped recuperate over $17,000 USD in stolen social security benefits when we discovered that a beneficiary had died four years earlier.

Fraud investigators not only work in consulates and the Embassy. Our highly trained and experienced team works closely with Mexican law enforcement, airport, immigration, and other officials to share fraud prevention strategies and cross-training opportunities.