As part of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers from fraud, the NNA has been working with Federal Trade Commission officials to encourage Notaries to report individuals or businesses engaging in the unauthorized practice of immigration law via a link on the NNA’s “Important Differences Between U.S. Notaries and Notarios” Resource Page.
Specifically, any Notary who encounters a victim of an immigration services scam can file a complaint on behalf of the victim using the link to the FTC’s complaint system on the NNA’s resource page, said Brad Winter, and attorney in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Complaints are submitted to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, a clearinghouse for information regarding all types of consumer fraud that is shared with 2,000 law enforcement agencies around the nation.
For decades, the National Notary Association has helped protect consumers by educating Notaries, government officials, and others about the dangers of the unauthorized practice of immigration law. Among other public awareness programs, the NNA continues to distribute, at no charge, a brochure entitled “What Is A Notary Public?” — written in both English and Spanish — which explains to consumers what a Notary can and cannot do.