WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 21 — It took Esteban Velásquez a year to save enough money to buy a gold chain he had always wanted. But last summer, as Mr. Velásquez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, walked to a convenience store with a friend, a man punched him in the face and ran off with the $400 piece of jewelry.

Robberies of illegal immigrants have become a serious problem here in recent years, and the victims, mostly from Guatemala, often avoid reporting the crimes, fearing deportation.

“I was afraid,” said Mr. Velásquez, 25, a landscaper who arrived here six years ago.

He reported the crime but later tried to hide from the authorities to avoid appearing in court. “But then I thought, whether I’m documented or not, I still have my rights,” he said.

With such crimes on the rise — they are common enough to have a chilling street name, “Guat-bashing” — the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth, Fla., and the Guatemalan Consulate in Miami, along with local law enforcement agencies, religious groups and banks, are working to help illegal immigrants from Guatemala protect themselves.