Scammers exploit the pressure of moving countries: finding housing, securing a job and protecting immigration status. A threatening caller or polished job offer can seem credible when you are unfamiliar with US systems. Slow down, verify independently and keep control of your money and accounts.
Government impersonation
Warning signs include threats of immediate arrest or deportation unless you pay, demands for gift cards or cryptocurrency, and requests to transfer money to a “safe account.” Caller ID can be spoofed. An official-looking badge number or knowledge of your university does not prove identity.
Do not follow a link supplied by the caller to “verify” the demand. Open the agency’s genuine website yourself, check your official account or notice, and contact the agency using a number obtained independently. USCIS resources should be on the actual uscis.gov domain; similar-looking names can mislead.
The IRS warns that demands to settle tax bills with gift cards are scams. Avoid the oversimplified rule that an agency can never call: verify the circumstances rather than treating caller ID as proof.
Fake jobs and equipment checks
Be cautious when an employer interviews only through informal messages, promises unusually high pay for little work, or sends a cheque and asks you to buy equipment through a specified vendor. Another version asks you to return an “overpayment.”
Money appearing available in your bank account does not establish that a cheque is genuine. If it is reversed later, you can be responsible for funds you sent to the scammer. Verify the job through the employer’s real careers page and independently obtained contact details. Do not pay for a promised job or send money onward for a supposed employer.
Rental scams
Fake listings often copy photographs and addresses from real properties while substituting the scammer’s contact information. A low price, urgency and a landlord who cannot show the property are reasons to investigate.
Confirm that the person has authority to rent the property. Tour it yourself or use a trusted representative. Compare the listing with the real management company’s website and contact the company independently. Read the lease and deposit terms before paying. An application link can also be a way to collect identity or card information.
Immigration assistance and student pressure
Verify the credentials of anyone offering legal representation or guaranteed visa approval. A person who calls themselves a consultant or notario is not automatically authorised to provide US immigration legal advice. Keep copies of anything filed for you and access to your own official account.
International students should independently contact their school’s DSO when a message threatens their SEVIS record or demands a payment. Use the university directory rather than the phone number inside the threatening message.
Protect account access
Never share one-time verification codes, passwords or remote access with someone who unexpectedly contacts you. Use strong unique passwords and available multifactor authentication. Confirm changes to payment instructions through a trusted existing channel. An email that appears to come from a familiar sender can still be compromised.
If you have already paid or shared information
- Contact your bank, card issuer or payment provider immediately and ask what recovery or account-protection steps are possible.
- Preserve messages, receipts, account details and screenshots. Stop communicating with the scammer.
- Change compromised passwords through the genuine service and review account activity.
- Report fraud through the FTC’s official reporting site. For identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Notify the real agency, school or property manager being impersonated. Seek urgent local assistance if there is an immediate threat.
Recovery is not guaranteed. Be alert for a second scammer who promises to recover the first payment for an advance fee.
Does knowing my name or visa category make a caller genuine? No. Personal details can come from breaches, public posts or prior deception.
Sources and further reading
- USCIS: Avoid scams
- IRS: Gift-card scams
- FTC: Job scams
- FTC: Rental scam findings
- Report fraud to the FTC
- Identity theft recovery
Reviewed October 12, 2026. This guide is educational; provider terms and applicable rules can change.