As immigrants prepare for reform, experts anticipate a surge in scams.

The U.S. House of Representatives hasn’t even passed its own version of an immigration reform bill yet, much less one resembling what the U.S. Senate passed last month. That means comprehensive immigration reform is still a pipe dream in Washington.

But as hopeful immigrants wait for Congress to act, scammers stand by to prey upon that hope.

Jorge Sifuentes, director of the immigration and citizenship program at Catholic Charities in Salinas, remembers the joy that followed 1986 amnesty – and also the fraud that popped up.

“People are already coming and asking us, ‘Is it true you have to be on an immigration waiting list to do this?’ They’re [paying] $700 to be on this so-called list that doesn’t even exist,” Sifuentes says.

He’s presenting at churches on some of the red flags to help immigrants identify scams. But ironically, scammers themselves often present at churches. They’ll also distribute fliers door-to-door, or post at ethnic supermarkets.

Many scammers call themselves notarios, a misleading term since notarios públicos in Mexico are lawyer-equivalents.

Blanca Zarazúa, an attorney and honorary consul of Mexico, says many immigrants she deals with are so eager for reform, they’ll let anyone – their tax preparer, say – fill out immigration papers if there’s a wait for an attorney or consultant accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.

“People are vulnerable to begin with, and then the emotional panic sets in,” Zarazua says. “It’s ripe for fraud, because people won’t want to wait one or two weeks.”

The Monterey County DA has only received six complaints involving immigration fraud schemes in the past eight years, Deputy District Attorney John Hubanks says. But officials all over the state appear to be preparing for an onslaught of cases.

In March, the California State Bar Association hosted a summit in Los Angeles to brief members on the problem. The American Immigration Lawyers Association runs a “Stop Notario Fraud” campaign to educate consumers as they prepare for a surge that’s already begun.

Beyond immigration scams themselves, advocates are bracing for a new set of payday lending scams targeting immigrants who need cash for attorney or immigration fees, or to pay back income taxes.

After Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program allowing more leniency for immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children, took effect last year, some banks and credit unions started offering loans to help young people pay the $465 DACA application fee. The Bay Area Self Help Federal Credit Union, for example, offers “Dreamer Loans” at 8-percent interest.

Henry Martin, a senior attorney at the Watsonville Law Center, has seen scammers collect as much as $5,000 for bogus consulting services, while Catholic Charities is able to help a family of four file straightforward paperwork for as little as $100.

It’s challenging to get undocumented immigrants to file fraud reports with law enforcement, Martin says. And even when scams are busted, it’s hard to collect – most have no insurance and deal only in cash.

Martin encourages victims to come forward. “It’s not true in all counties, but definitely in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties: [Undocumented immigrants] can report without any fear of your district attorney’s office,” he says.