According to an IRS Tax Exempt Organization search, Afghanistan-America Relations Office is a non-profit organization Under Section 170 and Section 501(c) (3) and is eligible to receive donations. The Virginia State Corporation Commission Clerk’s Information System shows that this Organization is Registered as an INC as an Entity Type: Nonstock Corporation and it Entity Status: Inactive Since Status Date:06/30/2022
The organization’s stated mission is to “promote and facilitate relations between Afghanistan and the United States.” The AARO has been criticized for incorrectly advising Afghans on how to apply for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), P1-P2-P3
Kauser News was contacted directly by Afghans who expected to receive those documents. They reported that AARO directed them to specific internet cafes in Kabul. Once they arrived, the internet cafes would charge them anywhere from $30 to $500 to fill out the various forms required for their SIV applications as well as provide the falsified documents promised by the AARO.
Via WhatsApp text, Kauser News sent the following message:
[6/29, 10:11 AM] Kauser News Agency: Article is ready for publishing just we are waiting for your comment. Kauser News Agency already has Afghan citizens and us government comments about your organizationHe responded saying that he would provide a comment over the phone, so Kauser News called Mr. Mohammad Saber-Nasseri. He answered and said he is not going to comment and then threatened to sue Kauser News if we wrote anything about AARO. He ended the call with personal insults to our journalist.
Later that evening, Kauser News sent this message, attaching the letter that follows which was provied to us by an AARO employee in Iran :
[6/29, 6:20 PM] Kauser News Agency: Thanks for your comment on this morning’s call, we have one more question to look at your organization, have people in a few Asian countries including Iran at the same time had refugee cases according to the UNHCR database. Is your organization paying them a salary, or are they working as a volunteer to get approved for a visa?
Mr. Mohammad Saber-Nasseri answered only with a request that we stop contacting him.
The Afghanistan-America Relations Office does not have licenses in Pakistan or Iran and according to State Department foreign policy, no United States organization is allowed to do activities in Iran without the State Department’s authorization.
The co-founder of a leading non-profit that serves SIVs shared with Kauser News that he received an email from the State Department entitled, “Warning about the Afghanistan-America Relations Office and Other Organizations Involved in Scamming Afghans Citizens.”
Afghan refugees who spoke with Kauser News are very familiar with Mr. Nasseri. They explained that he hosts open meetings for Afghans in Pakistan and posts videos on his Facebook page. In both scenarios, he claims that he has been hired by Congress and the White House to be the leader of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, that he has top security clearance, and that he resides at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad when he is in Pakistan. They further claim that once his Facebook videos have received a large number of views, he removes them. As of this writing, the video below remains active on the AARO facebook page and his TikTok account. In the video he claims that he is being escorted to a meeting via Secret Service motorcade.
A former cyber security video analyst has said that the clip is fake and that scammers are making it to target victims. The analyst cited several reasons for their assessment, including:
- The clip contains several technical errors, such as the use of outdated software and the incorrect appearance of the user interface.
- The clip is very well-produced in the first part of the video, but poorly produced in the second part, which is unusual for an authentic video.
- The clip is designed to elicit a strong emotional response from viewers, which is a common tactic used by scammers.
A former United States Army Sergeant said, “The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the President of the United States and their family, as well as other high-ranking government officials. The video is fake.”
In 2022, Karen Decker, the Chargé d’ Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan, tweeted that she would be in Pakistan to visit Afghan refugees. Soon after her tweet, Mr. Mohammad Saber-Nasseri posted on his organization’s Facebook page that, “Mr. Mohammad Saber-Nasseri and Karen Decker will come to Pakistan to visit Afghan refugees and meet the Pakistani Government to solve the Afghan refugee problem in Pakistan.” This is an image of that post.
On Nov 9, 2022, at 5:32 AM the Us Embassy Press Officer via Email responded to an email sent by Kauser News saying: ‘’Chargé d’ Affaires Karen Decker is in Pakistan this week to meet with Afghans and with the people and groups working together here to support Afghans and Afghanistan. This trip is part of a listening tour where she will meet with a diverse group of Afghans.” There was no mention of Mr. Nasseri in any official messaging about this visit and no evidence that Charge d’ Affaires Decker ever met with him.
The allegations against the Afghanistan-America Relations Office (AARO) are serious, and the investigations into the organization must be thorough. If the allegations are true, the AARO should be held accountable for its actions. More updates regarding this issue will be published after the government comments.
