Some of the worst of these predators will provide false assurances that they can quickly and easily resolve immigration issues. In some countries, "notaries" or "notarios," are allowed to provide legal services, but that is not the case in the U.S. Beware of notarios who offer to fix your immigration problems: notarios are not licensed to practice immigration law.

Other predators will threaten that dire consequences, such as loss of a job or a home, deportation, or families being torn apart, will result from not paying them.

In standard scammer procedure, you may receive a call which fakes the caller ID, so it looks like the caller is legit. But they're not: legitimate agencies don't just call you out of the blue. 

The scammer will offer false promises of help, or threats: telling you that you're under investigation by the government, or that there's a legal case against you. They throw around terms like "affidavit" and "allegations." And, of course, they ask you for money. Scammers often tell you to pay by money transfer or prepaid iTunes or Amazon gift card that cannot be traced. And that's one big clue: no legitimate agency will ever ask to be paid in some third-party form like a gift card.

to talk with someone.

No matter what, if you get a call or email asking for your money or personal information - stop. Don't send money or get a prepaid or gift card. Instead, hang up and call the NCSC.

A poisonous oil known as urushiol is found in poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac. Symptoms of itching, a red rash and blisters can emerge any time from a few hours to several days after exposure to the plant oil.   

Poison ivy and other poison plant rashes can't be spread from person to person. But it is possible to pick up the rash from plant oil that may have stuck to clothing, pets, garden tools, and other items that have come in contact with these plants. The plant oil lingers (sometimes for years) on virtually any surface until it's washed off with water or rubbing alcohol.

The rash will occur only where the plant oil has touched the skin, so a person with poison ivy can't spread it on the body by scratching. It may seem like the rash is spreading if it appears over time instead of all at once. But this is either because the plant oil is absorbed at different rates on different parts of the body or because of repeated exposure to contaminated objects or plant oil trapped under the fingernails. Even if blisters break, the fluid in the blisters is not plant oil and cannot further spread the rash.

Don't scratch the blisters. Bacteria from under your fingernails can get into them and cause an infection. The rash, blisters, and itch normally disappear in several weeks without any treatment.

You can relieve the itch by:

• Using wet compresses or soaking in cool water
• Applying over-the-counter (OTC) topical corticosteroid preparations or taking prescription oral corticosteroids
• Applying topical OTC skin protectants, such as zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, and calamine dry the oozing and weeping of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Protectants such as baking soda or colloidal oatmeal relieve minor irritation and itching. Aluminum acetate is an astringent that relieves rash