Fake lawyers are preying on desperate migrant workers who are looking for legal help, the vulnerable group is being warned.

Zhu Yan, a conciliator at Chaoyang Arbitration Committee for Labor Disputes (CACLD), said the phony lawyers are exploiting migrant workers who need help to claim unpaid salary from their employers.

"People should seek official assistance available here," Zhu said. "People should be cautious."

His warning came after Beijing Times reported that fake lawyers were hanging around the doors of the CACLD trying to poach clients.

The newspaper said one unsuspecting victim, a man surnamed Zhang, gave 2,000 yuan to someone in November who had hung around outside the CACLD and who introduced himself as a lawyer.

Zhang did win his case but said the "lawyer" never showed up in court.

Zhang tried to get his money back but could not find the "lawyer's" office. And the telephone number printed on the fake lawyer's name card had also been disconnected.

Li Zhiying, a security guard at the CACLD, told METRO that more than 100 desperate people visit the legitimate center every day.

"Most who come for their unpaid salary have been working on construction sites or at restaurants."

The CACLD helps people with their legal problems for free.

But, Li said, ever since early November, four or five men have been hanging around outside claiming to be lawyers. Li said the CACLD has banned the men from entering the building and trying to hawk their so-called services.

"One time, I saw some of them coming out from one of the law offices across the street," Li said. "But I'm not sure whether they work there."

The space he was talking about comprises dozens of shop-like law offices covered with advertisements for various labor-related legal services.

Inside, METRO found little more than a few shabby desks and some computers.

Li Shaopu, who introduced herself as the director of the Beijing Lilubofa Law Office, told METRO her service fee was at least 2,000 yuan. She said, as long as the evidence is sufficient, her company was confident of winning cases.

However, when asked to produce her lawyer's practicing certificate, she said the firm was currently going through its annual survey and refused. Two neighboring "law offices" also failed to produce lawyers' practicing certificates.

Meanwhile, all the name cards handed out by the "lawyers" in the building had only cellphone numbers and no landline numbers.

Interestingly, they also did not have an office address but claimed to share the same address as the CACLD.

What's more, the names of the shops were all different to the names on the name cards handed out by the clerks in the purported law offices.

Zhu from the CACLD said the center accepts cases of back pay, worker's compensation and disputes about social insurance. He said the majority of people using the official service are migrant workers seeking wages they are owed.

He said the center has three to five lawyers on duty each day who can help claimants and he urged people needing help to make sure they use the free and reputable service.

He Xiaoxiao, 23, from Hunan province, is a typical client. She turned to the center for help after the restaurant she worked for went bankrupt last week and the boss refused to give her three months of wages she was owed.

"With the conciliator's assistance, I completed the forms quickly and have put my case on record," He said.

"They told me it will be properly handled, so I don't think I need extra help from law firms."

However, some people have not been as lucky.

Xie Dazhong, a 33-year-old migrant construction worker, said he felt "really worried" after talking to several people who claimed to be lawyers in several offices on the opposite side of the street to the CACLD.

"I know nothing about the procedures," Xie said. "But the 2,000-yuan service fee was too much for me. I'd rather try to represent myself. If I fail this time, I may consider resorting to their help."

(China Daily December 22, 2010)