Nigeria U.S. Embassy Fraud Investigators

[Jaisah 0]

Did they deny your visa because of this encounter? If so then you can address this with your congresswoman and explain your case...what if your MIL doesn't understand English? They normally visit more than once and they are probably concerned more about the neighbors not familiar with the wedding than your MIL refusing to share information.

Keep your head up...

[kelly1290 0]

This family member was my mother-in-law who is 72 years old and the location is Lagos, Nigeria, where you don't give out personal information about someone else unless you know who you are speaking to and why they want to know. The lady investigator for the embassy greeted her and asked her if she was the mother of my husband and she replied yes, hope there is no problem? The investigator never bothered to identify herself as being from the embassy. That is when the investigator said, "Madam just answer my questions." My mother-in-law told her no because she would not identify herself. So the investigator left. She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed by the lady, that this was a lady from the embassy, so my mother-in-law ran after her and said that I don't know who you are, but I can testify to the fact that my son is happily married, but the lady investigator would not acknowledge her after that. Just got in her car and left. I feel that to be an unfair investigation. In my opinion, if you are going to do an interview, you should identify who you are and why you are there asking questions. If feel this to be an unfair investigation. That is why I wondered who I should go to to complain about their fraud department in the embassy in Nigeria. My mother-in-law is very upset and feels that she ruined our chances for my husband to come to the USA all because the lady wouldn't identify herself.

She had told my husband that she was afraid because the lady was so rude to her and refused to identify herself. She told my husband that she did not want to give out his personal information without knowing who she was talking to and why she wanted to know. Had she identified herself, she would have had no problem. What you don't know is that police in Lagos, Nigeria, are not anywhere in the league of American police. They are very corrupt. They will do anything and say anything for a bribe. They are never to be trusted. They don't serve and protect like American police. In Lagos, you have to be careful who you are talking to and why they want to know something.

If someone came to my home and started asking a lot of questions without identifying themselves, I would have the same reaction as her.

My big concern would be why would they refused to answer questions because she thought it was a Police woman. That would send up red flags to any investigator. That speaking from 26 working as a police officer.

Yoy stated that her youngest son (She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed) already being interviewed so may be he alreay gave the correct information. Normaly these invest people asked simple question like, does your son married? What you think went worng or in other mean what questions did the invest asked that your mother in law would not answer.

She did not ask my mother-in-law anything except was she the mother of my husband and she replied yes she was and hope there is no problem? My mother-in-law then asked the investigator who she was and the investigator would not tell her. She only told my mother-in-law, "Madam, just answer my questions.". My mother-in-law did not like the way she approached her and just started asking questions about her son and the fact that she refused to identify herself. I would have reacted the same way if someone I didn't know came to my home asking questions about my son and refused to identify themselves. Most people would not give out information to someone they don't know until they knew who they were and for what purpose they wanted the information.

If that was the case, it seems to me the invest will not make a decision with this encounter and will try to reach to somebody else to get the infromation she needs. What question did she ask the son? does the son talked to her about your husband

Yes, she ask questions of my husband's brother and he answered them. He was asked was he aware of our wedding and he answered yes he was, but that the wife is not in Nigeria, but in USA. The investigator replied okay. Then she asked what my husband was to him and he answered that he was his older brother, and she replied okay. She then asked why it was that no neighbors knew about this marriage and he answered that this was family business and not for everyone to know, and she said okay. Then she wanted to talk to my husband's mother, and you know that story.

Does'nt sound like a problem to me. The can and do use these methods. Nigeria is not the USA.

Yes, pushbrk, I do realize that Nigeria is not the USA, but they still should identify themselves as an employee of the embassy before starting their interrogation. She didn't realize who she was and had asked her twice to identify herself and she refused. I would have wanted to know who I was sharing personal information with myself.

[kelly1290 0]

Did they deny your visa because of this encounter? If so then you can address this with your congresswoman and explain your case...what if your MIL doesn't understand English? They normally visit more than once and they are probably concerned more about the neighbors not familiar with the wedding than your MIL refusing to share information.

Keep your head up...

No, he was not denied a visa. We were placed on AP because of an age difference. The investigating officer is a local Nigerian and knows the language and customs already. My MIL does not speak much English, but that doesn't matter since the investigating officer speaks her native language. The so-called neighbor she spoke too was not that close to the family. In fact, he was not even a neighbor. She just stopped this guy in the street and started asking him questions. She asked him if he knew my husband by using his native name which no one knows him by. He is called by his middle name. When she asked the guy using my husband's middle name, then he said, yes he knew of him. She asked him if he knew if he was married or not. The guy answered that no, he did not know one way or another as he was not that close to him.

You are, however, right about her being more concerned about neighbors not knowing as his brother was asked why the neighbors no nothing of our wedding. He answered because that is family business. We dont' shout our business in the street. She answered okay. Our wedding was in Abuja, not in Lagos, so I wouldn't expect a lot of people besides family and close friends to know about it.

I won't get too worried yet as nothing negative has happened yet and I don't know that she won't shed a positive light on our case just with my brother-in-law's answers. I am sure he will be called back shortly, so we will sit tight and see what happens. Thanks everyone for your input and advise. It was much appreciated as always.

Deb

[pushbrk 12,898]

This family member was my mother-in-law who is 72 years old and the location is Lagos, Nigeria, where you don't give out personal information about someone else unless you know who you are speaking to and why they want to know. The lady investigator for the embassy greeted her and asked her if she was the mother of my husband and she replied yes, hope there is no problem? The investigator never bothered to identify herself as being from the embassy. That is when the investigator said, "Madam just answer my questions." My mother-in-law told her no because she would not identify herself. So the investigator left. She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed by the lady, that this was a lady from the embassy, so my mother-in-law ran after her and said that I don't know who you are, but I can testify to the fact that my son is happily married, but the lady investigator would not acknowledge her after that. Just got in her car and left. I feel that to be an unfair investigation. In my opinion, if you are going to do an interview, you should identify who you are and why you are there asking questions. If feel this to be an unfair investigation. That is why I wondered who I should go to to complain about their fraud department in the embassy in Nigeria. My mother-in-law is very upset and feels that she ruined our chances for my husband to come to the USA all because the lady wouldn't identify herself.

She had told my husband that she was afraid because the lady was so rude to her and refused to identify herself. She told my husband that she did not want to give out his personal information without knowing who she was talking to and why she wanted to know. Had she identified herself, she would have had no problem. What you don't know is that police in Lagos, Nigeria, are not anywhere in the league of American police. They are very corrupt. They will do anything and say anything for a bribe. They are never to be trusted. They don't serve and protect like American police. In Lagos, you have to be careful who you are talking to and why they want to know something.

If someone came to my home and started asking a lot of questions without identifying themselves, I would have the same reaction as her.

My big concern would be why would they refused to answer questions because she thought it was a Police woman. That would send up red flags to any investigator. That speaking from 26 working as a police officer.

Yoy stated that her youngest son (She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed) already being interviewed so may be he alreay gave the correct information. Normaly these invest people asked simple question like, does your son married? What you think went worng or in other mean what questions did the invest asked that your mother in law would not answer.

She did not ask my mother-in-law anything except was she the mother of my husband and she replied yes she was and hope there is no problem? My mother-in-law then asked the investigator who she was and the investigator would not tell her. She only told my mother-in-law, "Madam, just answer my questions.". My mother-in-law did not like the way she approached her and just started asking questions about her son and the fact that she refused to identify herself. I would have reacted the same way if someone I didn't know came to my home asking questions about my son and refused to identify themselves. Most people would not give out information to someone they don't know until they knew who they were and for what purpose they wanted the information.

If that was the case, it seems to me the invest will not make a decision with this encounter and will try to reach to somebody else to get the infromation she needs. What question did she ask the son? does the son talked to her about your husband

Yes, she ask questions of my husband's brother and he answered them. He was asked was he aware of our wedding and he answered yes he was, but that the wife is not in Nigeria, but in USA. The investigator replied okay. Then she asked what my husband was to him and he answered that he was his older brother, and she replied okay. She then asked why it was that no neighbors knew about this marriage and he answered that this was family business and not for everyone to know, and she said okay. Then she wanted to talk to my husband's mother, and you know that story.

Does'nt sound like a problem to me. The can and do use these methods. Nigeria is not the USA.

Yes, pushbrk, I do realize that Nigeria is not the USA, but they still should identify themselves as an employee of the embassy before starting their interrogation. She didn't realize who she was and had asked her twice to identify herself and she refused. I would have wanted to know who I was sharing personal information with myself.

I wouldn't have liked it any more than she did but that's not the point. They are not restricted to using methods acceptable in the US. Your mother in-law isn't a US Citizen and Nigeria is not the USA so "rights" don't apply.

You have every right to complain but it won't help your visa process. I'd write the letter whenever you're ready but wait to send it until the visa is in hand.

[kelly1290 0]

This family member was my mother-in-law who is 72 years old and the location is Lagos, Nigeria, where you don't give out personal information about someone else unless you know who you are speaking to and why they want to know. The lady investigator for the embassy greeted her and asked her if she was the mother of my husband and she replied yes, hope there is no problem? The investigator never bothered to identify herself as being from the embassy. That is when the investigator said, "Madam just answer my questions." My mother-in-law told her no because she would not identify herself. So the investigator left. She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed by the lady, that this was a lady from the embassy, so my mother-in-law ran after her and said that I don't know who you are, but I can testify to the fact that my son is happily married, but the lady investigator would not acknowledge her after that. Just got in her car and left. I feel that to be an unfair investigation. In my opinion, if you are going to do an interview, you should identify who you are and why you are there asking questions. If feel this to be an unfair investigation. That is why I wondered who I should go to to complain about their fraud department in the embassy in Nigeria. My mother-in-law is very upset and feels that she ruined our chances for my husband to come to the USA all because the lady wouldn't identify herself.

She had told my husband that she was afraid because the lady was so rude to her and refused to identify herself. She told my husband that she did not want to give out his personal information without knowing who she was talking to and why she wanted to know. Had she identified herself, she would have had no problem. What you don't know is that police in Lagos, Nigeria, are not anywhere in the league of American police. They are very corrupt. They will do anything and say anything for a bribe. They are never to be trusted. They don't serve and protect like American police. In Lagos, you have to be careful who you are talking to and why they want to know something.

If someone came to my home and started asking a lot of questions without identifying themselves, I would have the same reaction as her.

My big concern would be why would they refused to answer questions because she thought it was a Police woman. That would send up red flags to any investigator. That speaking from 26 working as a police officer.

Yoy stated that her youngest son (She later found out from her youngest son, who had already been interviewed) already being interviewed so may be he alreay gave the correct information. Normaly these invest people asked simple question like, does your son married? What you think went worng or in other mean what questions did the invest asked that your mother in law would not answer.

She did not ask my mother-in-law anything except was she the mother of my husband and she replied yes she was and hope there is no problem? My mother-in-law then asked the investigator who she was and the investigator would not tell her. She only told my mother-in-law, "Madam, just answer my questions.". My mother-in-law did not like the way she approached her and just started asking questions about her son and the fact that she refused to identify herself. I would have reacted the same way if someone I didn't know came to my home asking questions about my son and refused to identify themselves. Most people would not give out information to someone they don't know until they knew who they were and for what purpose they wanted the information.

If that was the case, it seems to me the invest will not make a decision with this encounter and will try to reach to somebody else to get the infromation she needs. What question did she ask the son? does the son talked to her about your husband

Yes, she ask questions of my husband's brother and he answered them. He was asked was he aware of our wedding and he answered yes he was, but that the wife is not in Nigeria, but in USA. The investigator replied okay. Then she asked what my husband was to him and he answered that he was his older brother, and she replied okay. She then asked why it was that no neighbors knew about this marriage and he answered that this was family business and not for everyone to know, and she said okay. Then she wanted to talk to my husband's mother, and you know that story.

Does'nt sound like a problem to me. The can and do use these methods. Nigeria is not the USA.

Yes, pushbrk, I do realize that Nigeria is not the USA, but they still should identify themselves as an employee of the embassy before starting their interrogation. She didn't realize who she was and had asked her twice to identify herself and she refused. I would have wanted to know who I was sharing personal information with myself.

I wouldn't have liked it any more than she did but that's not the point. They are not restricted to using methods acceptable in the US. Your mother in-law isn't a US Citizen and Nigeria is not the USA so "rights" don't apply.

You have every right to complain but it won't help your visa process. I'd write the letter whenever you're ready but wait to send it until the visa is in hand.

Thanks Pushbrk! I slept on it and had already decided myself to just wait and see what happens. Nothing negative has happened yet. I don't know what recommendations she has in mind to give. I don't want to fix something if it ain't broke, so to speak. I could do more harm than good jumping the gun. Thank you pushbrk for your input as always and thanks everyone else for your input and recommendations. It was appreciated.