# Understanding the Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2021

This bill creates new federal crimes specifically targeting people who scam immigrants by pretending to provide legal immigration services. The term "notario" refers to a common scam where someone falsely claims to be a lawyer or qualified immigration representative and charges immigrants money for help with visas, green cards, citizenship applications, or other immigration matters—then either does nothing or does the work so poorly that it ruins the person's case.

The law makes it illegal to run these kinds of schemes. It covers several specific situations: charging people money for immigration help you don't actually provide, pretending to be a lawyer or accredited representative when you're not, and using threats or intimidation to keep victims quiet. For example, a scammer could be prosecuted for threatening to report someone to immigration authorities if they complain about being defrauded, or for deliberately sabotaging someone's immigration case to keep them from getting legal status. The penalties start at up to one year in prison and fines, but increase to up to three years if the total money stolen from all victims exceeds $10,000 or if the fraud causes someone to lose their immigration status or be deported.

The bill also sets up practical enforcement tools. It requires the Attorney General to establish at least 15 specialized prosecutors in areas hit hardest by this fraud, with preference given to prosecutors who speak languages commonly used by immigrant communities. The government must create ways for people to report fraud, publish information in multiple languages about how to spot and prevent these scams, and track prosecutions to see how well the law is working. Any money recovered from scammers that can't be returned to victims goes into a fund to help crime victims overall.

Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2021

Escobar, Veronica

Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2021 This bill prohibits certain types of fraud or misrepresentations related to immigration matters, provides for criminal penalties for such actions, and contains related provisions. Specifically, a person shall be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both, if that person knowingly executes a scheme related to immigration laws to (1) defraud another, or (2) receive anything of value from another based on false pretenses or representations. Such a person shall be subject to additional criminal penalties if that person (1) threatens to report another to federal or state authorities, (2) takes actions or makes attempts to adversely impact another's immigration status, or (3) demands or retains anything of value for services fraudulently performed or not performed. Similarly, a person shall be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both, if the person knowingly and falsely claims to be an attorney or an accredited representative in any matter arising under the immigration laws. (An accredited representative is an individual authorized by the Executive Office of Immigration Review to represent clients in certain immigration matters.) The bill provides for longer terms of imprisonment for a person who causes a cumulative loss of more than $10,000 through actions prohibited under this bill. The Department of Justice shall establish at least 15 Special U.S. Attorney positions to enforce these provisions and take other actions related to enforcement and protecting consumers from fraudulent immigration schemes.