Students looking to go abroad and their parents are often concerned since they are often targeted with immigration, housing, & taxes scams. So, it is wise to report any unusual calls, texts, emails, or letters to the international student office and campus police. One should learn about schemes that are meant to trick people before arriving in the U.S. to ensure the safety and security of students once they commence with studies.
Scammers have been targeting undergraduate and graduate international students, especially incoming, new international students and freshly graduated students participating in the Optional Practical Training program. Scammers impersonate agents by phone, threaten students that they will lose their immigration status if they don’t act, and ask them to buy gift cards or wire them money.
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The Office of International Students and Scholars website updates and incorporates the information in newsletters to incoming students. They also share a “SCAM” infographic that guides international students via email on the school website and via orientation meetings on Zoom.
Here is how international students can avoid scams once they begin studying at a U.S. college university.
Be aware of common scams.
According to experts, prospective and current international students should know of common scams like the ones related to immigration, housing, and taxes. Last month, the U.S. government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program issued a warning to schools regarding a scam where callers pose as government officials and ask students for immigration information.
Scammers also impersonate government officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Internal Revenue Service, or a police officer or university official.
They then threaten students with dismissal from the university, being deported from the U.S., or police arrest if the demands are not made. They tell them they are violating their status as an international student, and they will have to wire money or get gift cards within a certain time period. Victims are also asked not to speak to anyone about it, or they will be deported or jailed.
Scammers resort to unique tricks like getting to their heads by saying that they are just trying to help. They try to scare the student and then play the good cop. Scammers at times promise a cheaper or discounted way to pay tuition. There are also rental listing scams where students end up paying a deposit on a fake listing.
International students often fall victim to fake officials and exaggerated scams. Case Western Reserve University in Ohio published a newsletter in December 2020 as scam activity rose. Employment scams were among the many; it involves a scammer sending an email that poses to be from a Case Western Reserve staff or faculty member. And since international graduate students are often older and are looking for jobs to stay in the U.S., the possibility of scammers targeting them with residency and green card scams increases.
Protect personal data
According to experts, international students should store their social security cards in a safe place rather than carrying them around. They should also shred nonessential documents that contain personal information and refrain from opening unknown emails and clicking on suspicious hyperlinks.
Scammers sometimes have the student’s personal information like name, passport number, address, date of birth, helping the caller legitimize the caller. Regardless, International Student and Scholar Services should hang up the phone.
International students should know that the U.S. government sends a letter via certified mail, and the government will not demand immediate payment via gift cards and wire transfers. Furthermore, if payment is not fulfilled, the government would not communicate via phone, email, or text and threaten a jail term, detainment, or deportation.
Be aware and refrain from giving information to unknown people.
Report suspicious activity
Report any unusual calls, texts, emails, or letters received to the school’s international student office and campus police.
In the event that an international student falls prey to a scam and gives away bank or credit card information, they should contact the fraud or complaint center for the institution or the school’s international office or center. Banks and credit card companies have systems to change account numbers and replace cards that have been compromised and also at times help victims get their money back.
Students should contact the Federal Trade Commission, follow steps on the FTC’s website, and file a report with the police department if they have been a victim of identity theft.