Scams Targeting International Students
Learn how to protect yourself from ongoing & reoccuring scams which often target international students.
The most common scams reported by students are by criminals impersonating an officer from USCIS or IRS (Internal Revenue Services). These criminals call students on their personal cell phones after obtaining sensitive information such as your date of birth, social security number or address. The criminals normally ask students to wire a certain amount of money to them and threaten students with deportation or jail. The criminals might claim that you owe back taxes on money transferred from your home country, or say that there is a problem with your SEVIS record.
Please know that the U.S. government will NEVER call you asking for a wire transfer of money. If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately. Do not provide these criminals with additional personal information. You can report the scam to NJIT Police.
From USCIS:
If a Scammer Calls You:
If you receive a call demanding personal information or payment, hang up immediately. If you want to verify whether a call is from USCIS, you may:
* Call our National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 to ask if you need to do anything about your case or immigration status,
* Make an InfoPass appointment at http://infopass.uscis.gov, or
* Use myUSCIS to find up-to-date information about your application.
Remember, USCIS officials will never threaten you or ask for payment over the phone or in an email. If we need payment, we will mail a letter on official stationery requesting payment. Do not give payment over the phone to anyone who claims to be a USCIS official. In general, we encourage you to protect your personal information and not to provide details about your immigration application in any public area.
How to Report a Call from a Scammer
If you receive a scam email or phone call, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at http://1.usa.gov/1suOHSS. If you are not sure if it is a scam, forward the suspicious email to the USCIS webmaster at uscis.webmaster@uscis.dhs.gov. USCIS will review the emails received and share with law enforcement agencies as appropriate. Visit the Avoid Scams Initiative at www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams for more information on common scams and other important tips.