Hey Physiology & Medical Sciences students
- Especially International Students:
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program
(SEVP) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have
reported an increase in the number of scams targeting international students.
Often scammers pretend to be government officials in order to obtain personal
identifying information and money. They might already know information about
you when they call, or they may try to scare you by threatening that you will
be arrested or deported if you don’t pay immediately.
The tricks that scammers
use are very sophisticated, and it is easy for anyone to fall victim. Here are
some tips for protecting yourself from scams:
1. Government agencies will never request money by phone or email.
If payment is needed,
you will receive letter on official stationery requesting payment.
2. Do not provide your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) over the phone or by email.
Keep your documents in a
safe place. You do not need to carry your card around with you.
3. Only go to government websites for immigration information and forms.
In the United States,
official government websites include “.gov” in the web address. All application
forms are free to download.
4. You will not be penalized for reporting a scam.
Reporting a suspected
scam will not negatively affect your immigration status. You have the right to
protect yourself against identity theft and fraud.
If the Scammers Call You
Do not provide personal
identifying information or bank information. If you have any doubts about
whether it is a scam or a real government official, ask for the caller’s
information and a call back number, then call International Student Services at
(520) 621-4627 or email
us (intl-isps@email.arizona.edu) so we can help you
report the scam.
For
more information and additional resources:
Very best,
Martha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Martha P.L. Whitaker, Ph.D.
Professor of
Practice, Hydrology
Pronouns: she / her / hers
FREE Drop-in
Help Sessions: Mon 10am-11am; Fri 1-2pm
Room 226a
Harshbarger Building
The University of
Arizona
Department of
Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences (HAS)
(Formerly the Department of
Hydrology & Water Resources (HWRS))
PO Box 210011
JW Harshbarger Building, #11
Tucson, AZ 85721-0011
(520) 621-9715
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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