Fraud Alert Information

Dear International Students and Scholars:

This morning, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued an alert to schools informing us of a series of recent spoofing scams involving the SEVP Response Center (SRC), a government unit that manages electronic visa records for F-1 and J-1 visa holders.

Briefly, these scams involve private individuals contacting international students but disguising their actual phone numbers behind the SRC's phone numbers, 703-603-3400 and 800-892-4829. As a result, a targeted student may think they are being contacted by a SRC representative about an official matter, whereas they are not. The scammers take advantage of this, asking students about their I-94 information (or in certain cases, their address information). The scammers will then claim that the student's information may be outdated or inaccurate and that the student may be subject to deportation or criminal penalties unless they divulge their financial information or pay a large fine.

Please remember that this is not how government offices conduct official business. If you are contacted in this manner, hang up immediately. Do NOT divulge personal information (your address, passport number, date of birth, Social Security Number) or release financial information (credit card numbers, bank account numbers, etc.). If you are asked to make an immediate payment through wire transfer, Bitcoin, gift card, or other unusual means, recognize this immediately as signs of a scam. Contact the International Center immediately if you have any doubts, and read through our resource guide regarding fraud and scams.

To assist you in identifying scams, the International Center has started to post fraud and scam alerts as we become aware of them. Scams are a constant threat but with education and understanding, you can avoid becoming a target and victim of one.

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center