According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, foreign nationals are being victimized by scammers who pose as USCIS immigration officers and the association has received reports of a new USCIS phone scam. Foreign nationals are being targeted by these scammers and these scammers call the foreign nationals and tell them that the USCIS has identified some discrepancies in their immigration records and obtain further information about them. These callers who pose as USCIS immigration officers, prior to contacting the foreign nationals, gather information about them such as their names and addresses. By making the foreign nationals to believe that there are some discrepancies in their USCIS forms and records, they get their Form I-94 numbers, Alien Registration Numbers or their visa control numbers. People who are unaware of such telephone scams, believe these scammers and provide them with the information they request.
Finally, the callers inform the foreign nationals that they need to pay a penalty to clear up the discrepancy. They also threaten the foreign nationals by telling them that they would be deported or imprisoned if they fail to pay the penalty and clear up the discrepancy. Followed by that, they instruct the victims to transfer money to a particular address. The victims who believe that the callers are USCIS officers, send the money to the address mentioned by the callers, that is of course is not a USCIS office. Foreign nationals must remember that these scammers will use the information that they provide to create falsified immigration records in their names. Similarly, scammers also might use this information to obtain more information about them, from the USCIS.
Foreign nationals need to be on alert and they need to remember that the USCIS hardly contacts its customers through telephone calls. If you are a foreign national and if you receive such calls, you must first ask for the caller’s name and contact number to contact the caller. You may also report such calls to the FBI or to the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. USCIS relies on written communications and if you get such calls, you must immediately call the USCIS and check whether you were contacted by the USCIS. You can also file complaints in the American state where you live and you may check the USCIS website for information on laws that would protect you. Moreover, USCIS also permits the customers to anonymously report scams.