NYC Council Passes Hajj Fraud Education Bill to Shield Pilgrims' Savings

The legislation, sponsored by Council Member Yusef Salaam, directs the Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner to produce educational materials. Those guides will be shared by the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Department for the Aging. The goal is to help pilgrims recognize deceitful offers and use Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk platform for bookings.

The bill was approved unanimously, with one member absent. Salaam noted that fraudulent travel packages, fake visa brokers and predatory booking services have long targeted New York Muslims who save for years to perform Hajj or Umrah. In 2025, about 1.5 million pilgrims traveled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, most coming from outside the kingdom. The typical cost of a pilgrimage ranges from $9,000 to $15,000, prompting many to rely on specialized travel agencies. The Nusuk system, introduced by Saudi Arabia in 2022 to centralize visa issuance, faced early technical glitches that left some applicants unable to access services.

By mandating clear, language-appropriate warnings, the city aims to reduce financial loss and emotional trauma among pilgrim communities. The effort also supports religious freedom by removing barriers that prevent faithful from fulfilling a core Islamic pillar. Officials expect the resources to appear on agency websites and in community centers within the coming months.

Monitor how quickly the Consumer and Worker Protection office releases the multilingual guides and whether reports of Hajj-related scams decline in New York over the next year.