The FBI says that a new scam of cybercriminals aimed at Midgetn students who reside legitimate in the United States is becoming a rampant. The scammers are to go through government officials in an attempt to convince students that there is a problem with their immigration or visa state. To rectify the problem and avoid prosecution or deportation, possible victims are asked to pay legal, university and paperwork processing.
The scammers are intelligent and it is known that they take advantage of current events to create credible cons. This particular scam is produced in the middle of the efforts of the Trump administration to increase the deportation of undocumented immigrants. Students have also faced visas threats in response to participation in the protests of the Israel-Ahamas War in the University Campus throughout the country.
The students of Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been attacked in the scam so far, according to an alert of the FBI Internet Crime Towel Center (IC3). The scammers are going through agents of the Department of National Security (DHS), National Security Research (HSI) or citizenship and immigration services of the United States (USCIS). In some cases, scammers have identified themselves as officials of the foreign government of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Eau Embassy in Washington.
“You can speak professionals and use the accents and/or language that coincide with the supposed location of the people they call,” said IC3 on the alert. It did not specify how much scammers have students with leg charges. However, according to the last annual FBI fraud report, the victims lost $ 405 million to the government’s supplant scams last year.
How to protect from this new scam
The first step to protect against a scam is to know. So, if you are reading this, you can verify that box.
The FBI said that it should always be skeptical of any unplayed government communication. If this happens, begin to verify the validity of the call or the message contacting the agency yourself with an email that is on your website.
You should take the time to analyze any left that the scammers send you. Make sure the left is encrypted with standard “https” encryption and the URL reads as expected. For example, URLs must end in “.gov” no “Gov.org” and should not be a random combination of letters and numbers. That is a clear red flag.
Finally, do not download files or provide authentication codes of two unre requested call factors, says the FBI.
What happens if I am a victim of this immigration scam?
If you ended up paying the scammers, you must communicate with your bank, credit cooperative or credit card company immediately. Your financial institution can cancel the transaction on time or return your money.
It is also common for scammers to request payment through cryptocurrencies and gift cards, regardless of the scam. Cryptographic payments are basically irreversible, but contacting a gift card issuer can enhanced a refund.
The FBI has asked the public to denounce any fraudulent or suspicious activity at www.ic3.gov. Report scams to the agency help inform the public and help the police track criminals.
