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This blog is the final post in our three-part series about scams targeting international students who, like everyone else, can be a victim of identity theft, fraud, or another type of loss. It is the uncertainty of being in a country far from home that makes international students susceptible to these criminals. It’s important to be aware of common scams, and we’ve listed several, as well as their red flags, in Part 1 and Part 2 of our series.
Today, we’ll be looking at how students can take preventative measures to avoid scams, how schools can help protect their students, and how to help when a student falls victim to a scam.
Protecting yourself from a scam is mostly about taking preventative measures. Everyone, including international students, can easily protect themselves by taking simple precautions like not answering phone calls from unknown numbers, not answering the door if it’s someone they don’t know, and not opening or replying to phishy emails.
If students find themselves on the phone with someone they don’t know, they should never give away any personal information. A scammer may request their social security number, bank or credit card information, or other pieces of personal information. Students shouldn’t give any of it away. If they feel comfortable doing so, they can try to collect more information from them and report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and/or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Both the IC3 and the FTC work to catch scammers and help return lost money to victims.
Finally, international students should understand their rights. Everyone in America, even non-citizens, have rights under the U.S. Constitution. If someone claiming to be a government official or census worker shows up at their door, they are not required to answer or let them in unless they have a signed warrant. If students are unsure about how to react to someone knocking at their door, they can print the ILRC Red Card for quick reference.
Schools can make a big difference by helping students understand scams, red flags, and how to protect themselves. Begin at orientation and continue educating international students throughout the year with materials like handouts, e-newsletters, social media posts, group chats, videos (like this one from UC Davis).
Colleges and universities should consider creating a dedicated webpage warning about scams that international students can easily bookmark and reference. Be sure to include common scams, highlighting scams that have occurred on-campus recently, and list red flags and suggested action items.
Make sure students know they can talk to you about anything, even (and especially) if they have feelings of fear, anxiety or shame. Stressing the normalcy of scams can help to break the stigma.
Millions of people are caught up in a scam every year. If a student, international or otherwise, reports a scam, remember that they may feel scared, frustrated, or ashamed. Before you take any action, take time to comfort the student and let them know there are steps they can take to remedy the situation.
First, make sure the student ends all contact with the scammer. If they need help, assist them with blocking the scammer’s number on their phone and deleting and blocking emails from the scammer. Also, make sure the student has stopped sending money.
Next, it’s time to reach out for help. If the student gave away bank or credit card information, help them contact the fraud or complaint center for their institution. Banks and credit card companies already have processes in place to change account numbers, replace compromised cards, and possibly help them get their money back. If the student is a victim of identity fraud, be sure to help them recover by following steps on the FTC’s website and filing a report with the local police department.
And of course, be sure to share scam information with campus police, resident life staff, the Dean of Students, and your city police department—especially if a student lost money. If the student hasn’t already reported their scam, be sure to help them file a report with IC3 and/or the FTC.
There are a lot of ways students can protect themselves from falling victim to a scam, and schools can both educate students and help them recover if they fall victim. Unfortunately, scams are increasingly common. The good news is, our banks and credit card companies, as well as our government agencies, are prepared to help fight back and lessen the loss. Last year alone, the IC3 recovered 79% of reported losses, amounting to more than $304 million, and the FTC refunded more than $232 million to scam and fraud victims.
Scams are an unfortunate part of life today, but international students and their schools can work together to limit their effects through preventative caution and shared awareness.