The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has been working to notify the local Hispanic population about a man whose scams targets that segment.

Law enforcement in Warren and Nelson counties are looking for 49-year-old Ronald M. Alvarez.

Alvarez has claimed to be a “notario” – a position that in Hispanic countries is similar to a notary public, said Allison Gardner Martin, spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office.

“He claims that he will help immigrants with their (immigration) paperwork … or green card, and then takes off with their money,” she said.

Targets for the scam generally have been immigrants who are new to the country, Martin said. Alvarez has already taken several thousand dollars from immigrants before disappearing.

Alvarez was indicted in July in both counties on charges of theft by deception of more than $300.

A Warren County grand jury indicted Alvarez on four counts of theft by deception of more than $300, said Chris Cohron, commonwealth’s attorney for Warren County.

The first case locally was reported Feb. 19 when a Bowling Green Police Department detective met with two victims, Cohron said.

“One of the victims said that Alvarez had promised to help her with her work documentation,” Cohron said.

The woman paid Alvarez a total of $670 with $250 supposed to be Alvarez’s fee and the rest to go toward the fee for the documents.

Alvarez never delivered any documents.

Police know of at least three other victims in Warren and two in Nelson County.

“All four victims in the case do appear to be Hispanic,” Cohron said. “It’s a basic scam.”

“This is one of the first cases of this type we’ve seen in Kentucky,” Martin said. “It’s something that would be familiar to people who have lived in Texas or Florida.”

To help with the investigation and to inform the immigrant population, representatives from the attorney general’s office have been going on Spanish language radio shows and providing information to Spanish language newspapers in Kentucky.

The key to stopping these types of incidents is educating both the public and law enforcement about these scams, said city police Officer Monica Woods, international communities liaison.

“It’s great that the attorney general’s office is out doing something to increase awareness,” she said.

People who have a language or cultural barrier are often the targets of unscrupulous people, Woods said.

There have often been people who have taken advantage of Hispanics and other groups by offering to help with work documents, driver’s licenses or other official documents, she said. This is the first known local incident where scammers used the term notario.

“It’s up to us to reach out to those communities,” she said. “Hopefully that will make them less likely to be the victim of crimes.”

To help with that effort Woods said she is creating a pamphlet to explain to those new to the country about victim’s rights. They need to understand it’s OK to call the police, she said.

— Anyone with information about Alvarez’s location is asked to contact the Bowling Green Police Department at 393-2473.