Don't be a victim – get informed!
Students are often the target of scams-- dishonest and sneaky activities which aim to steal money or information, collected from fraudulent sources.
As a general rule, do not give out your personal or financial information to someone you do not know.
- Government agencies will never force youto stay on the phone or prohibit you from contacting friends/family or legal advice.
- Only trust phone numbers you recognize.
- Official government agencies will never use text or email to contact you.
- You or your family will never be threatened by an official government agency.
- United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Student and Exchange Visitor Program will never contact you about college fees or fines and say it is to avoid deportation or other consequences.
- You will never be asked to make large cash withdrawals, purchase gift cards, Bitcoin or make a money transfer by an official agency,
- If you think you have been a target of a scam, please reach out to an ISSS staff member.
- NEVER give out any personal information.
Common Scams which target international students and their families have been identified in this 2019 SEVP newsletter . Notably, it advises students to take the below actions if they have received a threatening or suspicious call or message from someone claiming to be a government or law official.
- Do not give the person any personal or financial information.
- Collect the caller’s contact information.
- End the conversation immediately if threats and intimidation persist.
- Contact your designated school official and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line to report the scam.
A phishing attack, usually received as suspicious email, routes recipients to a website or ask them to reveal private information, such as credit card information. To better protect your information online:
- Do not access personal or bank accounts from a public computer or public WiFi network.
- Do not reveal personally identifiable information, such as a bank account number, Social Security number or date of birth to unknown or untrustworthy sources.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has also shared detailed information about common scams .
If you receive any suspicious calls or emails, collect as much information as you can and send the details to isss@ohio.edu and we will help you report it to ICE’s anonymous Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line .
Additional Scam Resources
The below resources also can help you identify and actively avoid scams.
Social Media Posts & Infographics
- Department of Homeland Security’s blog posts on international students and scams
- Drexel University scams awareness event & Coffee with Cops event
- Infographics: Catholic University of America , College of New Caledonia , University of Cincinnati
- Warnings: Arizona State University , The Ohio State University , Stevens Institute of Technology , University of Illinois image 1 and image 2 , University of Southern California
- Identity Theft: https://www.verizon.com/about/account-security/identity-theft
Educational Videos
- Arizona State University’s Don’t be fooled by a scam call
- Federal Trade Commission’s Gift Card Scams, IRS Imposter Scams, Tech Support Imposter Scams, and Stop Calls From Fake Numbers. View the full index of videos
- University at Buffalo’s Scams Targeting International Students
- The University of California, Davis’s Protecting Yourself from Scams
- University of Southern California’s safety advisory
Handouts
- Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scams 101 Guide [PDF]
- The University California, San Diego’s Types of Scams and How to Avoid Them
- University of Illinois Scam Safety [PDF]
- USCIS Avoid Scams Resource Center
- U.S Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Toolkit
ISSS Webpages
Many websites feature the following sections: definition of a scam, common scam types, sample scam email or audio from phone call, tips to prevent scams, recent incidents on campus, steps to report scams, and contact information for the ISSS office. Sample pages include:
- George Mason University’s Protect Yourself from Scams ISSS page
- Rice University OISS Information on Scams and Frauds
- University at Buffalo’s scams ISSS page
- University of Connecticut’s Protect Yourself from Scams ISSS page
- University of Illinois Springfield’s Scams Targeting International Students
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ISSS page Scams Targeting International Students & Scholars
- Wichita State University’s Scams Affecting International Students
- Yale University’s Scams & Fraud ISSS page
Presentations
- Emory University’s presentation “ Avoiding Scams: ISSS & Emory Police Department”
- Indiana University’s presentation “Protect Yourself from Scams”