California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday issued a consumer alert warning immigrant communities to beware of scams related to immigration assistance. This comes amid fear and uncertainty over what Bonta called President Donald Trump's "inhumane" detention and deportation agenda.
Bonta's guidance highlights the dangers of notario fraud, which are scams involving individuals posing as legal experts.
In a statement, Bonta said: "Scammers are paying attention. Before hiring someone claiming to help with immigration matters, people should know how to identify trusted and qualified professionals."
In many Latin American countries, "notarios" are licensed attorneys, but the Attorney General’s office stated in the U.S., a notary public is not legally permitted to offer immigration legal services.
Bonta urged Californians to verify credentials before accepting help and provided tools such as ICE's detainee locator (locator.ice.gov) and immigration court information system (acis.eoir.justice.gov) to track individuals held in detention.
