NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, MAY 25 – MAY 31, 2017 | VOL. 14 NO. 21
N E T W O R K T H E
M O S T
W I D E L Y
C I R C U L A T E D
C A R I B B E A N
A M E R I C A N
As immigrants in South Florida and other parts of the US seek to ensure their status is legal, unscrupulous individuals aware of their plight continue to perpetuate costly scams against them. Some are taking advantage of people seeking to go to Canada as immigration regulations in the US become more stringent. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIA) has cautioned people of a telephone scam in which persons pretend to be calling from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the agency that facilitates arrival of immigrants to Canada.
Using false caller IDs to make the call appear legal, scammers call residents threatening them they're under investigation, or there's a legal case against them. They request immediate payment by way of money transfer, prepaid or gift card to avert the alleged investigation. The IRCC cautions it isn't calling people in the US, and doesn't collect money or payments by phone, by money transfer, or by prepaid or gift cards. They don't ask people to confirm basic personal information they already gave on an immigration application (for example, date of birth or passport number). And, they don't threaten to arrest or deport people. USCIS also disclosed it doesn't do any of those things. It cautions anyone getting calls like these not to make wire payments, or give out personal information. If residents have applied for a Canadian visa, they should immediately call the Canadian immigration authorities. If the call relates to an immigration case with USCIS, people should immediately call USCIS's National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 to inquire if there's a problem with their immigration application. USCIS also warns of another con where scammers are ripping off undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. A valid driver's license is a critical document needed to verify one's legal immigration status to work in South Florida and other US regions. This document requirement has created a critical demand for driver's licenses, and scammers are taking advantage of this demand. Recently, a couple in Tampa, Florida was sentenced to multiple years in prison for scamming immigrants of over $740,000 purporting to provide them with driver's licenses. The immigrants were charged fees of $500 and $1,300 each to obtain drivers licenses, based on fraudulent immigration documents the scammers made them complete.
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Fergie & Springer among the
Best of the Best One of South Florida's leading sound system selectors, DJ Fergie is not afraid of a challenge. Like entertaining the diverse crowd which is expected to turn out for the 11th annual Best Of The Best show at Bayfront Park in Miami on Sunday. The event has a rounded cast of performers geared at attracting lovers of dancehall, reggae and soca.
by Karyl Walker Based in South Florida, DJ Fergie and his partner DJ Springer along with counterparts from New York and Jamaica, are mandated to keep the audience entertained during set changes. In their late 20s, they have been DJs for over 17 years, and play at some of South Florida's trendiest spots and on the airwaves of Power 96 FM Radio. They have also played all across the US and overseas including Jamaica. “Normally, it would be a huge challenge given the diversity in age and nationalities, but in this event there is one common denominator that brings everyone together and that is reggae. B1 – Fergie and Springer
Time to man up! A call for fathers to 'own' outside children by Garth A. Rose
One of the first acts taken by former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley in 1972, was to remove the stigma and label of “Bastards” given to children born out of wedlock. Manley insisted every child was legal under Jamaican law. However, Caribbean-American sociologist Carmen Hall of South-Miami, has drawn attention to a situation that continues to plague Caribbean communities. One in which men have children outside marriage, but are raised without knowing their siblings from their father's primary family. A6 – Man up!
WHAT’S INSIDE NEWSMAKER
CARIBBEAN
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
CARMEN BARTLETT AND JNBS MARKS 20 YEARS IN SOUTH FLORIDA A3
FRAUD CASE AGAINST CASH PLUS BOSS DISMISSED A4
MANY ISLANDS, ONE PEOPLE, AT UNIFEST B5
JAMAICA’S WHITMORE LOOKS FOR HOMEGROWN TALENT C1