Hannah Kobayashi's family investigating possibility she was part of immigration marriage scam

The family of Hannah Kobayashi said they are investigating whether she was involved in a possible green card marriage scam, but stressed that nothing has been confirmed yet.

Police said Monday the 30-year-old Hawaii woman, who was the center of a missing person search in Los Angeles, had willfully crossed into Mexico and was reclassified as a “voluntary missing person.”

A Los Angeles Magazine report published Wednesday, citing sources, said she may have been involved in a green card marriage as part of an immigration scam for money prior to disappearing.

Hannah Kobayashi.LAX Police Department

The report said Kobayashi may have been scammed out of proceeds in the purported scheme, involving her marrying an Argentinian man.

The source said the possible scam was discovered by Kobayashi’s mother, who found immigration documents in her daughter's Hawaii home that listed an immigration attorney.

The Los Angeles Magazine report said the FBI was investigating the possible marriage scam. NBC News has not verified the report. The FBI's Los Angeles field office said it assisted in Kobayashi's case, but deferred comment to the LAPD.

Sara Azari, an attorney for the Kobayashi family, shared a statement on behalf of the family saying: "We want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information."

"The family has not confirmed the authenticity of the images or the accuracy of the information provided about a possible secret marriage. This is one of many leads we are actively investigating with the help of our attorney and investigative team," the statement said, noting that the family turned over any information they had to law enforcement.

The family asked the public to "avoid jumping to conclusions or spreading unverified claims."

“It is especially important not to perpetuate speculation that anyone is involved in a scam, as this only hinders our efforts to find Hannah and bring clarity and closure to the nightmare we are living because of her disappearance,” the statement said.

"We remain focused on verifying the details and leads we have received and ask for your understanding and patience as we continue our investigation," the family said, while thanking the public for their support and individuals involved in the search for Kobayashi.

Concern for Kobayashi started on Nov. 8, the day she landed at Los Angeles International Airport from Honolulu with plans to catch a connection flight to New York City. She missed that connecting flight and relatives said she used her time sightseeing in Los Angeles. 

She went to The Grove shopping center, about 12 miles north of LAX, the following day and the day after that and returned to LAX each time, according to a timeline posted to the private “Help Us Find Hannah” Facebook page by her sister Sydni Kobayashi.

On Nov. 11, she was seen speaking with a ticketing agent at the airport. Later that day, she got on a Metro train to South Los Angeles, then to downtown Los Angeles, accompanied by an unidentified man, police said. That day, family members said she sent messages that concerned them because their content and voice didn’t seem to match hers. 

“Hannah’s last message to us was alarming — she mentioned feeling scared, and that someone might be trying to steal her money and identity,” Kobayashi’s aunt Larie Pidgeon said on Facebook.

On Nov. 12, she was seen at a Greyhound bus station in downtown Los Angeles alone.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Monday that she was reported missing on Nov. 13 and the LAPD took over the case on Nov. 15. 

Police said Monday they reviewed U.S. Customs and Border Protection video showing Kobayashi crossed into Mexico on foot at a land port in San Diego on Nov. 12, leading them to conclude she was voluntarily missing.

McDonnell added that there’s no evidence Kobayashi is the victim of human trafficking or foul play. Police said in a news conference that detectives reviewed her social media accounts, which led them to believe she “wanted to disconnect.”

Kobayashi's relatives had gathered in Los Angeles to search for her, and her father, Ryan Kobayashi, 58, died by suicide on Nov. 24 near LAX. The Los Angeles County medical examiner said he died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

“I’m very sorry to the family for all that they’ve been through,” McDonnell said Monday.

The LAPD, when asked to comment on the possible marriage and the family’s concerns, referred to Monday’s press conference as the last update they will provide.

Sydni Kobayashi said the family was not satisfied with that police conclusion. 

“We’re just as confused, and just as frustrated, more than anything now,” Sydni Kobayashi said on NBC News NOW’s “Top Story With Tom Llamas,” Tuesday.

She urged her sister to reach out to the family.

“I can’t stress enough how loved you are, how supported you are,” she said. “We’re really worried about you. No matter what situation you’re in, you always have a home to come to.”

Azari said the family would deploy volunteers to look for Hannah in Mexico.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.