The Real Vanessa Gonzalez: A Wilmington, N.C. Immigration Lawyer Found a Disturbing Profile on Facebook, Why Won't Meta Help? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 13, 2026 · 14 MIN

The Real Vanessa Gonzalez: A Wilmington, N.C. Immigration Lawyer Found a Disturbing Profile on Facebook, Why Won't Meta Help?

from Shoresides · host Rend Smith

In this episode, Shoresides talks with Vanessa Gonzalez about what it means when people looking for help can’t easily tell the difference between a real attorney and a convincing impersonator — and why immigration law, with its limited pathways and high stakes, is a particularly easy place to run the con.We also hear from Adonia Simpson at the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, which has dealt with its own impersonation scams, and from Reuters investigative tech reporter Jeff Horwitz, whose reporting on Meta helps explain why taking down fraud can be harder than you’d think.Send us Fan MailSupport the showwww.shoresides.org 

In this episode, Shoresides talks with Vanessa Gonzalez about what it means when people looking for help can’t easily tell the difference between a real attorney and a convincing impersonator — and why immigration law, with its limited pathways and high stakes, is a particularly easy place to run the con. We also hear from Adonia Simpson at the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, which has dealt with its own impersonation scams, and from Reuters investigative tech reporter Jef...

NOW PLAYING

The Real Vanessa Gonzalez: A Wilmington, N.C. Immigration Lawyer Found a Disturbing Profile on Facebook, Why Won't Meta Help?

0:00 14:01

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Somewhere & Elsewhere Shoresides Somewhere & Elsewhere uncovers stories from artists across the coastal Carolina region. Storm Stories of North Carolina Shoresides Storm Stories of North Carolina is a collection of stories from Hurricane Florence. This podcast and radio series explores resilience and recovery in the coastal region through local stories. Broadcasting from the Narrative Arts' studio in coastal North Carolina the series tells real people stories. She Rocks Teen Radio Shoresides In this podcast, young people in coastal North Carolina explore pressing regional issues and showcase youth leadership, skills and civic values. Produced by Working Narratives and GRITS. Speak Your Piece Shoresides Shoresides accepts opinion essays on a range of topics for our “Speak Your Piece” series which is published as text online or aired as audio as part of our podcast. We’re particularly interested in essays that share ideas or issues from the coastal region from perspectives not often heard in our traditional media. Written essays typically run from 400 to 1,200 words and audio essays from 3-4 minutes, but drafts of any length will be considered. We will arrange recording for audio editions.Submission guidelines: Please share one sentence at the top of your submission that tells us who you are and how your opion essay is connected to the coastal region. Also, be sure to include annotations for all assertions and attributions made in your essay. All submissions must be original, exclusive to Shoresides. Contact us at [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Shoresides?

This episode is 14 minutes long.

When was this Shoresides episode published?

This episode was published on January 13, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In this episode, Shoresides talks with Vanessa Gonzalez about what it means when people looking for help can’t easily tell the difference between a real attorney and a convincing impersonator — and why immigration law, with its limited pathways and...

Can I download this Shoresides episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!