Federal, state and municipal authorities today announced the launch of a campaign to combat scams by notaries and immigration consultants targeting immigrants seeking legal help to fix their papers.
The initiative, "The Wrong Help Can Hurt You - Avoid Immigration Scams," is spearheaded by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The goal is to educate immigrants on how to avoid falling victim to deceptive services that are promoted on the Internet, radio, print and informational flyers among immigrant communities and that exploit the vulnerability of these individuals.
But the goal is also to go after people who are engaging in the "unauthorized practice of immigration law" (UPIL).
Among the most common scams are people who pose as lawyers without being lawyers, convincing immigrants to apply for benefits to which they are not entitled in exchange for large sums of money, which can lead to deportation. Another is people or services that charge them for immigration forms that are free.
It is important to remind the Hispanic community that there is a big difference between a "notario" in Latin America and in the United States. While in some Latin American countries a "notario" is a position held by a licensed attorney, here in the U.S. it is a person who only has the authority to authenticate signatures and documents.
The campaign is being conducted in English, Spanish and 12 other languages. In addition to posters, flyers, radio and print ads, the authorities launched a new resource center on their website offering more information on how to avoid scams.
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