USCIS warns of new scam targeting immigrants

USCIS issued a new warning Tuesday, saying that scammers are altering their caller ID to make it look like they are calling from a Canadian immigration authority call center before seeking payment from immigrants in the U.S.

“The scammers tell people that their names and identities are under federal investigation,” USCIS said in an email notice. “Sometimes they tell individuals that there is a legal case, an affidavit, and/or allegations against them.”

USCIS urged anyone who receives a call demanding payment or personal information to hang up immediately.

Reminders:

• As BAL reported in April, neither USCIS nor other U.S. agencies seek payment over the phone or in an email. All requests for payment are made via mail on official government letterhead.
• To verify whether the call is from U.S. immigration authorities, individuals may call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283, make an InfoPass appointment here, or go to the MyUSCIS webpage.
• Suspicious calls may be reported to the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint website. Suspicious emails may be forwarded to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at uscis.webmaster@uscis.dhs.gov.

BAL Analysis: Email, phone and web scams have become common in the U.S. and around the world. People should protect their personal information, including any relevant immigration-related details, and hang up if they receive suspicious calls or emails seeking personal information or demanding payment. Additional information on common scams and tips to avoid them is available at the USCIS avoid scams website.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com.

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