Scams are dishonest, fraudulent, illegal schemes to make money. Unfortunately, there are often scams targeting International Students and Scholars in the United States.
We encourage you to protect your personal information, including your immigration information. Do not disclose any personal details to people you do not know.
If you have been the victim of a scam, you should contact the police immediately. If you are unsure of the validity of communication you received, make an appointment with an immigration coordinator or email isss@uwm.edu.
What You Should Know
- The U.S. government agencies will only contact you in writing.
- There are many phone scams targeting international students – DO NOT SEND MONEY!
- Scammers often know your name, address, phone number, your home country, and other personal information.
- They may SPOOF phone numbers from legitimate law enforcement offices. One of the techniques they use is to tell you to Google their number. A Google search will tell you that the number is a legitimate number. BE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE SPOOFED THESE PHONE NUMBERS. EVEN IF THE NUMBER IS LEGITIMATE, the person calling you is not.
- There are many email scams (phishing), DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS without verifying the validity of the email/link.
Additional Resources
- USCIS has helpful resources on their AVOID SCAMS webpage, including information on common immigration scams.
- The IRS website describes potential scams that could affect you. If you receive any suspicious emails from the IRS, report them to the IRS.