Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2.6 million reports regarding scams, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $12.5 billion in victim losses.
Unfortunately, anyone can be the target for a scammer, including international students. To increase our collective awareness, we at LewerMark have developed a three-part series to describe known scams and their “red flags”—things you can look for that help identify a scam for what it is (click here for Part 2 ). In Part 3, we will provide advice on protecting yourself from, and reacting to, a scam.
Let’s begin with some well-known scams, so you know what to look out for:
This scam preys on international students’ fears. Scammers know many international students may be in a financially difficult position due to the coronavirus pandemic. An international student will receive a call or an email from someone claiming to be from the federal government. The fake government person (the scammer) will say there is a problem with the student’s immigration status and threaten arrest or deportation. The scammer will demand immediate payment to correct the situation by depositing a check or cryptocurrency for a large sum of money.
If you receive a call or email like this, hang up the phone or save the email to report to the authorities, and talk to your international student advisor. Your fellow students likely received a similar call or email. If you are concerned about your visa status or immigration documentation, call the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at (800) 375-5283.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed an infographic and full blog post detailing how to spot these kinds of scams. Warning signals include:
This scam targets explicitly international students from China. You will receive a phone call from individuals posing as Chinese government officials speaking in Mandarin. They will tell you that you’ve been connected to an illegal passport scheme led by a corrupt government official and that your economic status as a “poor student” provides your motive. In another version of the scam, they will say the student’s bank account has been compromised and is being used for criminal activities. They will go on to tell you that, to prove your innocence, you must send them a copy of your passport and a refundable fee. Even if you ignore them, they may continue to call and threaten you, and may also allege that you must return to China and appear in court. They may even say not to contact friends and family because it will put them in danger as well.
These scammers are very savvy, as they spoof an actual government number and will share photos, documents, and badges supposedly proving they are government officials.
Everyone gets a little lonely at times, and International students are no exception. Scammers know millions of people use online dating sites, and they are, too – hiding behind fake profiles. If you have an online love interest asking you for money, that’s a scam. Here’s what to look out for:
The FTC has provided resources on identifying online dating scams, and here are some of the biggest red flags:
Scammers can make you feel scared or uneasy, push you to make a decision too quickly or demand that you part with money or personal information. The important thing to remember is to not react in the moment. Instead, take time to look for red flags that indicate you have been targeted by a scammer. If you are a target, don’t worry — you haven’t done anything wrong and are not in trouble. Simply report your experience to your advisor so they can alert other students to the scam.
In Part 2 of our series, we will look at additional scams and their red flags. In Part 3, we will discuss what you can do to protect yourself, and how to react if you happen to fall victim to a scam.
