Question 1

What are the red flags of this scam?

Accepted Answer

The person calls themselves a 'notario,' 'tramitador,' or 'immigration consultant' — not a licensed attorney • They guarantee visa or green card approval — no legitimate attorney can guarantee outcomes • Payment is requested via cash, wire transfer, Zelle, Venmo, gift cards, or Western Union — not a check to USCIS • A phone caller claims to be from USCIS, ICE, or Homeland Security and says you will be deported unless you pay now • They use social media (Facebook, WhatsApp) as their only contact channel and have no verifiable office address • You cannot verify their bar license on your state bar's website

Question 2

What should I do if this happened to me?

Accepted Answer

For any immigration legal help, only use an attorney listed at justice.gov/eoir or verifiable through your state bar association • Real USCIS never calls you to demand payment or threaten arrest — hang up immediately on any such call • USCIS fees are always paid by check or money order made out to 'U.S. Department of Homeland Security,' or by credit card at uscis.gov — never to an individual, never by wire or gift card • Before paying any immigration consultant, ask for their bar license number and verify it at your state bar's website • If you already paid a fraudulent consultant, report to your state attorney general and stopnotariofraud.org • Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

Fake immigration lawyer or "notario" charges thousands and destroys your case

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Red flags

Known variants

Sources