Pretends to be immigration help
Immigration help fraud
Is someone who is not a lawyer offering immigration help a scam?
Often yes. Fake notarios take money and can harm your case. Use only a licensed attorney or accredited representative you verify.
Almost always fake. Stop, then check by calling a number you already have.
Also searched as: notario, immigration consultant, USCIS call, green card help, visa help
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- In person
- Phone call
- Text message
- Social media
2 They pretend to be
- Police or government
- Someone else
3 They ask for
- Money
- Personal details
- Something else
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Pretends to be immigration help. What gives it away:
- Give your ID numbers
- Pay right now
Warning signs
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
Attorney General Bonta Issues Consumer Alert on Notario Fraud, Obtaining Immigration Legal Help, Locating Detained People
Scammers offer immigration help they are not allowed to give. They may call themselves notarios, notaries or immigration experts. Others call or text saying there is a problem with your immigration case and ask for money or information. This can cost thousands of dollars and harm your status.
Only lawyers, accredited representatives, and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court.
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Immigration consultants – who may call themselves immigration experts, notarios, notaries public, or paralegals – cannot do so.
Watch out for immigration scams that can cost you thousands of dollars and/or harm your immigration status.
Don’t give your original documents to anyone unless you see proof that the government requires the original document.
**Do not give money or personal information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you claiming that there is a problem with your immigration matter.**
No federal or state agency, including USCIS, will ever ask for your personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or text.
Be skeptical of social media or other ads promising new or quick immigration help.
How To Avoid Immigration Scams and Get Real Help
New Jersey state agencies warn immigrants seeking help with immigration paperwork about scammers, including unlicensed notarios, who overcharge or give fraudulent legal advice. The guidance says only authorized attorneys and accredited representatives may prepare immigration forms or give legal advice, and that government agencies never demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer.
In the United States only an immigration attorney or someone authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) can give you immigration advice.
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Only attorneys and people who have been accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice working for a recognized organization can give you legal advice.
And if someone says you have to pay them by gift card, wire transfer, a payment app, or cryptocurrency — to help you with your immigration status or for any reason — that’s also a scam.
Immigration services fraud
Some people and companies who are not lawyers offer fake or illegal help with immigration papers. They may take money, promise results they cannot deliver, or keep your documents. New York law limits what these helpers can do, and you can get refunds and your papers back.
Immigrants can be especially vulnerable when they are seeking to adjust their immigration status. They can be easy targets for companies and individuals who offer unauthorized and fraudulent immigration services.
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These scammers prey on these immigrants, who fear complaining to authorities.
Providers cannot give legal advice or counsel a person on their eligibility for immigration status, including how to fill out answers on immigration forms.
Providers cannot state or hint that they can influence, or get special favors or specific outcomes from, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, or any other government entity.
Providers cannot demand a fee for providing immigration forms or a referral to a qualified legal service provider.
Customers can cancel their contracts and get a refund and have their original documents and immigration file returned to them, even if there is a fee dispute.