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Fraud Prevention

Protect Yourself from Immigration and Notario Fraud

The process of immigrating to the U.S. and pursuing naturalization can be challenging. Many people choose to hire a legal professional to help them navigate their immigration journey. While working with a professional can be helpful, it’s also necessary to protect yourself. Immigration fraud, or notario fraud, occurs when individuals falsely present themselves as legal experts, such as attorneys, to take advantage of immigrants. In the U.S, notarios, notary publics, immigration experts, and similar titles are not allowed to provide legal advice. Always make sure to check a person’s credentials, to ensure they are a legitimate, licensed professional before following their advice or giving them money.

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Fraud Can Have Serious Consequences

Working with fraudulent notarios can have serious, sometimes permanent, repercussions for those who are affected by it. Frauds may mislead immigrants into submitting incorrect forms, missing deadlines, or providing false information to the government, which can cause legal issues. Victims of fraud may face the following consequences:

  • Losing the opportunity for legal status
  • Facing deportation
  • Being permanently barred from seeking immigration relief
  • Losing substantial amounts of money

This is why it is so important to understand what is immigration and notario fraud, and how to protect yourself. We encourage you to review the information on this website or watch this video to learn about what fraud is and common scams to be aware of.

How to Protect Yourself from Fraud

The best way to protect yourself from fraud is to ensure you only take legal advice from legitimate, licensed legal professionals. Below are some tips to help you navigate this process successfully.

Ensure that anyone offering immigration legal services is a licensed attorney. You can verify their credentials with the state bar association. If you are receiving help from someone that claims to be an accredited representative, make sure they work for a recognized nonprofit organization and have current accreditation. The Department of Justice has lists of accredited representatives and recognized organizations available on their website.

Other resources you can use to find and verify qualified professionals include:

Even after checking these websites, you should try to find any information the person before working with them. This will help ensure you are working with authorized practitioners with no history of disciplinary actions or malpractice.

Always review your application thoroughly before signing. Frauds may try to convince you to sign a blank or incomplete form so that they can fill it out later with misleading details. If this happens to you, it can lead to legal consequences.

You should always keep records of any forms or paperwork submitted on your behalf.

If someone guarantees fast or special immigration benefits, get a second opinion before proceeding. What they are promising may not be possible and this could indicate that you are working with a fraud.

If you receive a message or phone call claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or any other government office, do not respond. Most often, a U.S. immigration authority will not contact you directly.

If someone claiming to be an immigration official requests money, it is a scam.

Usually, payment is included with your application when mailed, and the government will request such payment through formal channels, such as a physical letter or a notification on the USCIS website.

In the U.S., notaries cannot provide immigration legal services. Notarios may call themselves immigration specialists, consultants, or experts, but they are not authorized to give legal advice.

If you believe you have been a victim of notario fraud, visit Stop Notario Fraud, a website created by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association—which are two very trusted agencies. Reporting fraud can also help prevent someone else from encountering the same scam. Navigate the page to find the help you need, whether that is reporting these cases to the right agencies or finding the services you require.

You can also file a report through the Washington State Attorney General’s office or Federal Trade Commission. To learn more about ways to find legitimate legal services or report fraud, you can visit this website.

Know Your Rights After Ending Representation with an Attorney or Legal Representative

If you end your relationship with a licensed or formerly licensed attorney or accredited representative, there are important steps you can take to protect yourself and your immigration case. View this document to learn more.

If you were a client of former immigration attorney Alexandra Lozano, please visit this link to learn more about her situation and next steps you should take. Lozano recently resigned her law license following a lawsuit, and is permanently barred from practicing law in the state of Washington.