Thursday, July 8, 2021
Many immigrants often require legal professionals’ help to either request an immigration benefit or maintain lawful status. Desperate immigrants who are unable to afford attorney fees fall prey to the infamous notary fraud. However, unscrupulous notaries or immigration consultants have become a severe problem for immigrants throughout the United States. Victims of such scams are typically undocumented immigrants with limited English-speaking skills and no knowledge of the United States legal system. A warning issued by American Bar Association reads, “[o]ften using false advertising and fraudulent contracts, notaries hold themselves out as qualified to help immigrants obtain a lawful status or perform legal functions such as drafting wills or other legal documents.”