Queens Post – By Shane O’Brien | Published July 2, 2025

The New York City Council has passed legislation introduced by Queens Council Member Julie Won and Brooklyn Council Member Shahana Hanif, aiming to combat immigration legal services fraud, whereby predatory actors exploit the fears of immigrant communities by offering false promises of legal services.

Legislators said the practice, known as “notarial fraud,” can result in victims paying thousands of dollars for legal services that often leave them worse off.

Advocates said the “long-standing issue” has worsened considerably with the influx of new arrivals in New York City.

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Hanif, meanwhile, introduced Intro 205A, which will require the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media, and other appropriate agencies to work collaboratively to educate immigrant communities about common immigration-related scams.

The education and outreach campaign will be conducted in all designated city-wide languages and temporary languages.

The campaign will also include guidance on how to identify and avoid common fraudulent schemes, information on credible immigration legal service providers, and how to report fraud using DCWP’s complaint mechanisms.

Hanif stated that federal immigration policies have created fear and anxiety among New York’s immigrant communities, adding that bad actors often seek to exploit that anxiety. She said data from the DCWP highlights that the problem has increased significantly in recent years.

“The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies have generated anxiety and confusion among immigrant communities. Bad actors often exploit these vulnerabilities through fraudulent practices, charging high fees and sometimes even sabotaging ongoing immigration cases,” Hanif stated.

Both Won and Hanif stated that the measures target the most significant laws passed in the US to target “notario fraud.”

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