By American Bar Association
The American Bar Association Commission on Immigration and other immigrant rights organizations have developed new resources to assist individuals and legal service providers across the country in combatting increasingly sophisticated scams targeting immigrant communities. These materials help make legal service providers aware of steps they can take to address pervasive fraud in the immigration field.
The updated materials offer strategies for supporting vulnerable immigrant communities that have been targeted by unscrupulous actors, and resources for individual attorneys and organizations who have been impersonated. The resources, developed by the Commission on Immigration, Catholic Charities USA and the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, are posted at www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/immigration/projects_initiatives/fightnotariofraud.
The ABA issued a public alert in August 2025 about an increase in the number of individuals impersonating ABA and U.S.-based attorneys to offer fake immigration legal services. The association issued a second alert in November 2025 as the number of scams continued to rise.
Fraudulent activities have continued to increase this year, extending well beyond traditional notario fraud, in which individuals misrepresent themselves as qualified to offer legal advice or services concerning immigration. Scammers are now creating professional-looking websites and social media accounts, using fake attorney-client agreements and falsely appropriating organizational branding, as well as providing fraudulent immigration receipts, interview and hearing notices, approval notices or other purported government documents.
“A scammer may convince a victim that an interview or hearing has been scheduled and use a staged proceeding or fabricated notices to reinforce the belief that a legitimate immigration case is underway or a benefit has been granted,” said Adonia Simpson, COI deputy director. “This can allow a scheme to continue for months while victims make additional payments and believe that applications have been filed or their cases are pending.”
The financial loss can be substantial, but the immigration consequences may be even more serious, Simpson said. “A victim may discover that an application was never filed, that a real filing deadline or hearing was missed or that a fraudulent application was submitted on their behalf. Legitimate attorneys and organizations may not learn that their identities have been stolen until a victim contacts them about a case they have never handled.”
The Commission on Immigration suggests that legal service providers consider proactively contacting multilingual media outlets to alert local communities of these scams. Providers do not need to wait until they have been impersonated. Organizations and attorneys can explain the tactics they are seeing, clarify how they provide services, communicate with clients and give the public concrete steps for verifying an attorney, organization, hearing or interview.
Legal service providers also can share these tips with their communities for recognizing and preventing immigration fraud:
• Scammers are becoming much more sophisticated. They may use the real name, photograph, bar number, office information or professional biography of a licensed attorney or the name and logo of a trusted nonprofit or national organization.
• A real attorney's name and bar number do not prove that the person contacting you is that attorney. Independently verify the attorney's law firm or organization's contact information and call to confirm the representation.
• Do not assume a document is genuine because it looks official. Scammers have produced fake immigration receipts, interview notices, approval notices, contracts and other documents that can look convincing.
• A video hearing or interview can also be fake. Scammers have staged virtual proceedings involving people pretending to be government officials. If you are uncertain about a hearing or interview, independently verify it with the appropriate government agency or your legitimate attorney.
• Be especially cautious when someone contacts you unexpectedly through Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok or another social media or messaging platform. Do not rely on the account's number of followers, professional appearance, photographs or paid advertisements as proof that the person is legitimate. Reports indicate that Facebook and WhatsApp have been significant channels for impersonation schemes.
• Be suspicious of guarantees and pressure to pay immediately. No legitimate attorney can guarantee that an immigration benefit will be approved. Be especially cautious about demands for immediate payment through Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, gift cards or similar payment methods.
• Verify before you pay. Check an attorney's license directly with the relevant state licensing authority, independently contact the employer the person claims to work at, review written agreements carefully, obtain receipts and keep copies of everything you sign or submit.
• If something does not seem right, ask for help quickly. Reporting suspected fraud to Consumer Protection Division of state Attorney General’s Offices may help protect both the individual victim and other members of the community. Legal service providers should also preserve screenshots, contracts, phone numbers, email addresses, payment information, social media profiles and fraudulent documents because they may help identify connections among multiple incidents.
Providers that discover their organization or staff have been impersonated should also consider issuing a public notice through their website and social media channels. Alert community partners and bar associations, report fraudulent accounts to the relevant platforms and notify appropriate consumer-protection, law-enforcement and attorney-regulatory authorities.
Visit ABA Immigration Scams Education and Awareness resources (www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/immigration/projects_initiatives/fightnotariofraud) for a complete list of materials outlining steps attorneys and organizations can take when they have been impersonated.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/10/aba-immigrant-rights-groups-offer-resources/)
The American Bar Association Commission on Immigration and other immigrant rights organizations have developed new resources to assist individuals and legal service providers across the country in combatting increasingly sophisticated scams targeting immigrant communities. These materials help make legal service providers aware of steps they can take to address pervasive fraud in the immigration field.
The updated materials offer strategies for supporting vulnerable immigrant communities that have been targeted by unscrupulous actors, and resources for individual attorneys and organizations who have been impersonated. The resources, developed by the Commission on Immigration, Catholic Charities USA and the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, are posted at www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/immigration/projects_initiatives/fightnotariofraud.
The ABA issued a public alert in August 2025 about an increase in the number of individuals impersonating ABA and U.S.-based attorneys to offer fake immigration legal services. The association issued a second alert in November 2025 as the number of scams continued to rise.
Fraudulent activities have continued to increase this year, extending well beyond traditional notario fraud, in which individuals misrepresent themselves as qualified to offer legal advice or services concerning immigration. Scammers are now creating professional-looking websites and social media accounts, using fake attorney-client agreements and falsely appropriating organizational branding, as well as providing fraudulent immigration receipts, interview and hearing notices, approval notices or other purported government documents.
“A scammer may convince a victim that an interview or hearing has been scheduled and use a staged proceeding or fabricated notices to reinforce the belief that a legitimate immigration case is underway or a benefit has been granted,” said Adonia Simpson, COI deputy director. “This can allow a scheme to continue for months while victims make additional payments and believe that applications have been filed or their cases are pending.”
The financial loss can be substantial, but the immigration consequences may be even more serious, Simpson said. “A victim may discover that an application was never filed, that a real filing deadline or hearing was missed or that a fraudulent application was submitted on their behalf. Legitimate attorneys and organizations may not learn that their identities have been stolen until a victim contacts them about a case they have never handled.”
The Commission on Immigration suggests that legal service providers consider proactively contacting multilingual media outlets to alert local communities of these scams. Providers do not need to wait until they have been impersonated. Organizations and attorneys can explain the tactics they are seeing, clarify how they provide services, communicate with clients and give the public concrete steps for verifying an attorney, organization, hearing or interview.
Legal service providers also can share these tips with their communities for recognizing and preventing immigration fraud:
• Scammers are becoming much more sophisticated. They may use the real name, photograph, bar number, office information or professional biography of a licensed attorney or the name and logo of a trusted nonprofit or national organization.
• A real attorney's name and bar number do not prove that the person contacting you is that attorney. Independently verify the attorney's law firm or organization's contact information and call to confirm the representation.
• Do not assume a document is genuine because it looks official. Scammers have produced fake immigration receipts, interview notices, approval notices, contracts and other documents that can look convincing.
• A video hearing or interview can also be fake. Scammers have staged virtual proceedings involving people pretending to be government officials. If you are uncertain about a hearing or interview, independently verify it with the appropriate government agency or your legitimate attorney.
• Be especially cautious when someone contacts you unexpectedly through Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok or another social media or messaging platform. Do not rely on the account's number of followers, professional appearance, photographs or paid advertisements as proof that the person is legitimate. Reports indicate that Facebook and WhatsApp have been significant channels for impersonation schemes.
• Be suspicious of guarantees and pressure to pay immediately. No legitimate attorney can guarantee that an immigration benefit will be approved. Be especially cautious about demands for immediate payment through Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, gift cards or similar payment methods.
• Verify before you pay. Check an attorney's license directly with the relevant state licensing authority, independently contact the employer the person claims to work at, review written agreements carefully, obtain receipts and keep copies of everything you sign or submit.
• If something does not seem right, ask for help quickly. Reporting suspected fraud to Consumer Protection Division of state Attorney General’s Offices may help protect both the individual victim and other members of the community. Legal service providers should also preserve screenshots, contracts, phone numbers, email addresses, payment information, social media profiles and fraudulent documents because they may help identify connections among multiple incidents.
Providers that discover their organization or staff have been impersonated should also consider issuing a public notice through their website and social media channels. Alert community partners and bar associations, report fraudulent accounts to the relevant platforms and notify appropriate consumer-protection, law-enforcement and attorney-regulatory authorities.
Visit ABA Immigration Scams Education and Awareness resources (www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/immigration/projects_initiatives/fightnotariofraud) for a complete list of materials outlining steps attorneys and organizations can take when they have been impersonated.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/10/aba-immigrant-rights-groups-offer-resources/)
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