MENDOCINO CO., 6/29/25 – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday issued a consumer alert warning immigrant communities to beware of scams related to immigration assistance, as fear and uncertainty rise amid what he 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.
“Scammers are paying attention,” Bonta said in a statement. “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 in the U.S., a notary public is not legally permitted to offer immigration legal services, the Attorney General’s office noted.
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.