Federal Consumer Protection

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in its role as the nation's consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies/business practices, including cases of notario fraud, in order to detect patterns of wrongdoing.  By submitting a complaint (whether anonymous or identified) against an immigration consultant or notario, you are contributing to the FTC's ability to investigate and hopefully prosecute known offenders. The FTC does not resolve individual complaints, so it is best to also file a complaint with the state agency that investigates claims of notario fraud and the unauthorized practice of law.

File a complaint using the FTC's online Complaint Assistant!

State Consumer Protection Agencies

To file a complaint against an immigration consultant or notario who has harmed you, you may contact the following agencies* in your state:

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Alabama Maine Oregon
Alaska Maryland Pennsylvania
Arizona Massachusetts Puerto Rico
Arkansas Michigan Rhode Island
California Minnesota South Carolina
Colorado Mississippi South Dakota
Connecticut Missouri Tennessee
Delaware Montana Texas
Florida Nebraska U.S. Virgin Islands
Georgia Nevada Utah
Guam New Hampshire Vermont
Hawaii New Jersey Virginia
Idaho New Mexico Washington
Illinois New York Washington D.C.
Indiana North Carolina West Virginia
Iowa North Dakota Wisconsin
Kansas Northern Marianas Wyoming
Kentucky Ohio  
Louisiana Oklahoma  

 

*The above listings contain information gathered from official government websites of all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S territories. Although AILA has attempted to verify the information contained in these listings, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of all phone numbers, web addresses, or other information.

ABA/AILA Notario Fraud Project

The American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) have joined together to help victims find lawyers to provide free representation against notarios. Although we cannot guarantee a lawyer for every request, we will do our best to find a lawyer to help you fight back!

If you are a lawyer interested in providing pro bono service to victims, please take a moment to review the Immigration Lawyers Helping Victims information on this website.

Lawyer Discipline

Immigration Lawyers are required to maintain high ethical standards. If you feel that an attorney has not acted in an ethical manner, you should contact your state bar association to register a complaint for possible disciplinary action.

For both attorneys and accredited representatives, you can also file a complaint with Department of Homeland Security or the Immigration Court. Visit the Department of Justice website for details.