Senior citizens aren’t the only ones vulnerable to scam calls. The Oregon FBI says international students should be cautious as well when answering the phone this school year.
In their Tech Tuesday segment, the state FBI warns foreign students that scammers spoof caller IDs, pretending to be government agencies.
The following comes from an audio clip provided by the Oregon FBI:
“Once the fraudster has captured the victims attention with the caller ID, the bad guy will attempt to bolster his credibility by revealing information about the person’s immigration status, or details about the school program the student is attending.”
Scammers then demand students pay up, or risk deportation. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission reportedstudents from South Asian countries had received scam calls requesting payment via gift card, or cryptocurrency.
The Oregon FBI says U.S. government officials are unlikely to ask for payment or confirm personal info over the phone. If a student is concerned about their immigration status they’re encouraged to contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Copyright 2019, KLCC
