Beware of scammers targeting international students’ visa worries

Individuals residing in the U.S. from overseas are experiencing a lot of anxiety and confusion about their legal status. According to a new FBI alert, scammers are taking advantage of this by impersonating government officials and targeting those on student visas.

The FBI is warning that fraudsters are impersonating U.S. immigration officials, like those from the Department of Homeland Security, preying on individuals visiting with student visas. The criminals threaten prosecution or deportation unless the student pays bogus fees for paperwork processing, university registration, or other legal mandates. The scammers also appear to be targeting students from the Middle East, sometimes impersonating foreign officials representing the United Arab Emirates or Qatar.

The U.S. government also stated that the scammers may spoof the phone numbers of legitimate federal agencies, foreign embassies, or universities. The criminals also might speak professionally or use an accent or language matching their purported location.

If someone claims that your visa status has lapsed or is at risk, keep the following tips in mind.

• Verify that they are a legitimate immigration or university official. Government workers will only contact you from email addresses ending in .gov. If contacted over the phone, try reaching out to the office through contact information provided in previous communications (like letter mail) or found through a third-party.
• Do not provide information or money until you have verified that the demands are legitimate.
• Government or university officials will never ask for payment via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or payment apps like Venmo or Cash App.
• Government or university officials will never ask for two-factor authentication codes for account login or other login information like a password.

Reporting Scams

If you suspect you’ve encountered a scam:

• File a complaint at Fraud.org: We will share your complaint with our network of consumer protection agencies and law enforcement partners.
• Report to the FBI: Use the ic3.gov website to report directly to the agency.
• Inform the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.