A Bluffton woman trying to get her brother released from immigration detention lost nearly $7,000 after someone on Facebook allegedly impersonated a real California immigration attorney.
The scam started June 4, according to a Bluffton Police Department report cited by The Island Packet. The victim’s lawyer told police that the woman reached out through a Facebook group called “La liga Defensora EU” and connected with someone claiming to be immigration attorney Janett Cardiel.
Cardiel is a real attorney licensed in California, but she told The Island Packet the person behind the Facebook group was not her. The State Bar of California lists Janett Cardiel as an active attorney, and La Liga Defensora’s website lists her among the firm’s attorneys…