I experienced a visa scam

I have been very much enjoying my time in Mexico over the last 8 months. But bad things also happen and those experiences need to be shared to protect other people.
So let me tell you of Sonia D.
Sonia makes a living helping foreigners living in Mexico to deal with immigration. According to her website, she does so in San Miguel and in Puerto Vallarta.
That is how I met Sonia, over the internet.
After exchanging 6 emails, she proposed her services for a new visa, and asked me to pay $5000 for her assistance. So I went to the bank and sent the money.
And I never got any news from her from that moment onwards.
So I went to immigration to work things out by myself.
At one of the visits to immigration I saw Sonia because I recognized her from the photo on the website. When I asked, she said she never heard of me, when I showed the bank statement of my payment she said that “does not prove anything” and refused to further talk to me.
So I contacted a lawyer who at first tried to call her in my presence. To no avail, it was impossible to get Sonia on the phone.
Then the lawyer sent this letter asking Sonia to pay me back:

Señora Sonia D. ,
Reciba un cordial saludo, le escribe el Licenciado José David García Vázquez, en atención a un problema suscitado con mi cliente el señor Adrian Smolders ……
Mi cliente tiene documentada su relación contractual con diversos correos, entre los cuales usted le solicito el pago de la cantidad de $5,000.00 pesos y le indico a donde debía depositar ese dinero, no obstante lo anterior, al parecer usted nunca atendió a mi cliente pues él tuvo que viajar de Mazatlán a esta ciudad para hacer el proceso por sí mismo.
En virtud de lo anterior, mi cliente me pide que le informe que requiere le devuelva el dinero que le deposito más la cantidad de $3,000.00 pesos por los daños ocasionados en virtud de su omisión o de lo contrario tendremos que accionar los procesos legales correspondientes en su contra, para lo cual le pido de la manera más atenta, responda a la brevedad el presente correo y se ponga en contacto conmigo, ya que si para el día 24 de julio Usted ha sido omisa en contactarme para arreglar este problema, procederé judicialmente en contra de Usted.
Le tuve que escribir porque nunca contesta su celular y es la única manera que creo conveniente para contactarla.
Quedo a sus órdenes para cualquier duda o aclaración.
Atentamente.-
José David García Vázquez

Then Sonia D. paid back my $5000, but refused to pay the lawyer.
Her undented assurance, even confronted by a lawyer for irrefutable malpractice, convinces me that my case is not unique, but I may be the only one who pushed this all the way.
Beware of your money, beware of Sonia D.

I send a copy of this to the Immigration Office.