How to Identify International Student Scams: Part 2

In Part 1 of our series, we identified three scams, including fake calls/email scams, the “Illegal Chinese Passport Scheme,” and census scams. We also described the “red flags”—things you can look for to help identify a scam.

In this post, we will continue to identify some of the most common scams and their red flags. If you’d like to know how students and schools can protect themselves from scams, and how to react if you fall victim to a scam, you can skip straight to Part 3.

For now, let’s continue with some other well-known scams, so you know what to look out for:

Student Housing Scams

A scammer will list a rental for a very low, “too good to be true” price. They may include a lot of detail in the listing, as well as photos. However, if you contact the scammer, they will refuse to show the property for any number of reasons. Instead, they will tell you that you must send a security deposit and/or the first month’s rent via wire transfer in exchange for keys to the rental. In a variation of this scam, scammers will reach out to students regarding housing and will push you to secure a rental by sending money right away. You may also experience similar scams on Craiglist and other online marketplaces.

Red Flags:

• The rent price is “too good to be true.”
  As the adage states, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
• There is no address in the listing.
  All legitimate listings will include the property address.
• The rental owner claims to be away on a business trip, vacation, etc. and refuses to show the property.
  Being out of the country is a common excuse in a variety of scams.
• You are required to sign a contract or send money before seeing the property.
  Legitimate property owners will always allow you to see the property before signing or paying.
• The caller demands wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments cannot be traced.

OPT Scams

If you are an F-1 visa international student looking to enter an Optional Practical Training (OPT) or work program in the U.S., be careful as you weigh your options and do your research. There are a variety of scams targeting you:

1. Recently, OPT students have received calls from scammers posing as USCIS or SEVP or ICE officials claiming there is something wrong with your application or asking to verify personal information with you. They may also request payment.
2. Some students have reported receiving communications that appear to come from reputable companies, usually by phone or email. The scammer will discuss how difficult it is for companies to sponsor international students and will suggest that the student self-sponsor their employment for a “refundable” fee.
3. Some “official” programs are scams in disguise. These kinds of programs usually communicate very aggressively and won’t provide very many details. They may also verbally offer compensation for your work, but exclude it in the final contract.

All three of the scams listed above will specifically try to target OPT students. Whether they ask for personal information or money or try to force you into a shady contract, they are all disreputable. Your best bet is to hang up and block them from your phone and email.

Red Flags:

• You receive a call from an official U.S. government agency.
  Government agencies will never call or email you. They will send official paperwork.
• The business name is one or two letters off from a legitimate business name.
  Legitimate businesses will not misspell their own name.
• Corporate officers are unreachable.
  You should always be able to get ahold of someone at a legitimate place of business.
• The supposed employer won’t offer details regarding the company, work, and compensation.
  All these pieces of information will be readily available for a legitimate job opportunity.
• The email is not from a business address and/or is full of typos.
  Hiring professionals and job recruiters will use business email addresses and be professional in their communications.

Scholarship Scams

Most international students are on extremely tight budgets and need scholarships and grants to help pay for their studies in the U.S. Unfortunately, scammers know this and will prey on students and their parents looking for financial assistance by paying for a service to find scholarships.  Some of these scams will “guarantee” finding a scholarship if you send personal information or money to hold the scholarship.

Red Flags:

• You, or your parents, are asked to give banking information upfront.
  Legitimate scholarships will not require you to disclose a bank account or credit card information to hold a scholarship.
• The scholarship service “guarantees” you a scholarship or grant.
  Be aware no one can guarantee you will receive a grant or scholarship.
• Payment must be made via wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments are untraceable and suspicious.
• If a service says a scholarship will cost to apply, research the scholarship upfront to make sure it is a legitimate scholarship before paying any application fees.

“You’ve Won!” Scams

These types of scams are usually conducted via phone or email and claim you have won something, like a lottery or free trip. The catch is, you have to pay some kind of processing fee or taxes to claim your prize. They will typically request either a wire transfer or your bank or credit card information.

Red Flags:

• You didn’t enter to win the prize they are offering.
  You have to enter a giveaway in order to win.
• The sender claims you have been chosen at random.
  There are always prerequisites to winning, even if the final winner is randomly selected.
• You have to pay or provide personal information to claim the prize.
  Legitimate giveaways are free to enter and should not require personal information.
• Payment must be made via wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments are untraceable and suspicious.

Other Imposter Phone Scams

Scams are widely conducted via telephone and usually feature a scammer posing as an authority figure like a police officer or government official. They will attempt to scare you and may threaten civil action or arrest if you don’t do what they tell you. Typically, they offer to let you off the hook if you send money in the form of a wire transfer or gift cards.

Some scam callers will get even more creative and will pretend to know someone you know or claim to be the friend-of-a-friend. The caller will usually claim your “mutual friend” is in trouble and needs money. For instance, they may say your friend has been arrested and needs money for bail. Again, they will want you to send this money to them (not your real friend) in the form of wire transfers or gift cards.

Red Flags:

• The caller claims to be a government official.
  Official government agencies will not call or email you. You will receive official paperwork.
• The caller demands immediate payment.
  Government agencies will never require immediate payments like gift cards or wire transfers.
• The caller demands wire transfers or gift cards.
  These methods of payment are entirely untraceable.

Key Takeaway

Being caught in a scam can make you feel scared or uneasy. Scammers will try to push you to decide without all the information or demand that you part with personal information or money. Remember, it’s important not to react in the moment. Step back from the situation, take a deep breath, and see if there are any red flags present. If there are, don’t worry. You haven’t done anything wrong. As with any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, report your experience to your advisor. They can help you and alert other students to the scam.

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. If you’d like to review the other scams we’ve identified, click here to return to Part 1.