Sep. 11, 2014
Joseph Dunn
See more on Joseph DunnState Bar of California | Chief Executive Officer | San Francisco
As part of this process, a series of anti-fraud seminars were launched with the help of such public agencies as the Bureau of Real Estate, Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the local district attorneys offices.
"Seniors, immigrants and veterans are the three biggest communities targeted by fraud," Dunn said.
Among the topics discussed are immigration lawyers who prey on a particularly vulnerable segment of the population.
"The vast majority are true professionals, doing the right things to serve their clients, often times under difficult circumstances," Dunn said. "But a small minority are doing very bad things in the immigrant community."
Even in small numbers, these immigration lawyers have the ability to exploit thousands of unsuspecting people whose dream is to legitimately reside in the United States, Dunn said.
In the past, he added, lawyers advertised in local publications and their clients were mostly from the local community.
But these days, "With the Internet, lawyers can sign up 1,000 clients from anywhere with a clever marketing scheme," Dunn said. "They make money from families, but don't provide any legitimate services to help them gain legal status."
Even though immigration reform has yet to be passed by Congress, "Law enforcement has found California lawyers advertising in Mexico, Central and South America for reform services," he added. "These lawyers signed up clients who had never stepped foot in the United States."
With the town halls, Dunn said, "We are trying to prevent the damage from occurring, rather than addressing it after the fact."
Continuing into the next year, he said, "Our mission is protecting the public and improving how we do things to meet that mission."
<< PAT BRODERICK
For reprint rights or to order a copy of your photo:
Email
jeremy@reprintpros.com
for prices.
Direct dial: 949-702-5390
Send a letter to the editor:
Email: letters@dailyjournal.com