When attorneys have a difficult time discerning scams from legitimate solicitation for legal representation, you know scam artists are upping their game.

Zachary Wilson, a Fort Collins attorney who serves as general counsel for the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming, is a case in point.

The scam, which targets attorneys throughout the U.S. and Canada, works like this: An overseas company contacts a U.S. lawyer by e-mail and retains that attorney as a settlement agent to collect a debt from a U.S. company. The company sends a settlement check to the lawyer, who deposits it into his trust account and then wires the settlement amount, minus his fee, to the “client.” But the settlement check is counterfeit and the lawyer loses the money he wired abroad.

This collection scam has many variations and is continually being updated, according to the BBB, making it difficult to spot immediately. Because of this, the BBB advises attorneys and their staffs to be wary of business dealings from potential foreign clients that are initiated via e-mail.

In Wilson’s case, he was contacted by a supposed British traffic control systems company that wanted to pursue a collection action against a Colorado-based electronics parts company. Both checked out as legitimate businesses. “It sounded like a standard collection,” Wilson said. “A company had provided valuable goods for which they were not paid.”

Wilson became suspicious, however, when he received a follow-up letter thanking him for his “wonderful retainer letter.”

“What kind of businessman talks about a retainer letter being wonderful?” he asks. The second letter, unlike the perfectly written first, contained awkward grammar and misspellings. Wilson was suspicious.

Rather than deposit the check as instructed, Wilson delivered it to his bank for investigation. “It was fraudulent,” said Wilson, adding that the scam “was pretty sophisticated.”

Attorneys that receive such e-mails should forward them to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov as well as to the BBB at www.tucson.bbb.org.

Living in Southern Arizona, you know that the immigration debate is often at the forefront of news reports and discussions.  Worried about breaking immigration laws, many immigrants are hurriedly seeking legal status; but while trying to avoid hassles many are running into bigger ones.

Some immigrants are being scammed through Notario Fraud.  In the United States, a notary public is authorized to certify the validity of documents and witness signature of forms without formal legal training.  In Latin America, a public notary or ‘notario’ who possesses the equivalent of a law license may provide legalization services.

Issues arise when individuals obtain a notary license in the U.S. and then tout their status to immigrants elsewhere who believe the title represents services beyond witnessing signatures.

Notario fraudsters, immigration consultants, or immigration experts claim they are authorized to represent immigrants in US courts and before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a fee.  If you work with an unlicensed notario, you risk incomplete paperwork being submitted, missed submission deadlines, or false claims that can result in your deportation or the inability to obtain legal residency.  Fees for notario services can range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands.

Prior to working with a notario, ask to see their credentials to ensure they are licensed to practice law or if they are an accredited representative capable of representing you in immigration matters.  Ask if you will have to pay for court notices and documents and obtain a written contract outlining the services being provided and the cost.  Be wary if you are asked to sign blank forms.  If you believe you are a victim of notario fraud, contact Southern Arizona Legal Aid at (520) 620-9465 or The Lawyer Referral Service at (520) 623-4625.