The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found that Hispanics, whether they are Spanish speakers or not, are twice as likely to have been victims of fraud than non-Hispanic whites.
In my work with Hispanics in North Carolina, I have heard some horror stories involving scam and fraud that directly target the immigrant population across the state. Considering the much publicized growth rate of Hispanics in the recent Census reports, it comes to no surprise that scam artists are finding new ways to target this population group.
Last month, Loma International Business Group in Baltimore was shut down for charging immigrants for filing immigration forms that the group was not authorized to file. Spanish speaking immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador lost money to this business by trusting them to file their immigration forms in order to gain a legal immigrant status in the United States. The company claimed they were authorized to perform such duties when in fact they were not, making it illegal for them to be charging money for their services.
I’ve seen similar cases in North Carolina, where “notarios” or “immigration consultants” have used false advertising and fraudulent contracts, positioning themselves as qualified professionals who can help immigrants obtain lawful status, or who perform other legal functions such as drafting wills or other legal documents.
Often, victims spend lots of money and sometimes permanently lose opportunities to pursue immigration relief because a notario has damaged their case.
Perhaps that is why I felt it important to recommend this topic to one of my video production clients – an immigration law firm – as one of their Spanish-language “Immigration Minute” videos.
Take a look at the video that I produced and share your thoughts…
