Several students have reported receiving scam a phone call from a number that is listed as USCIS (the caller information displayed is spoofed). On the phone the students are being told they must complete the Form AR-11 (Change of Address with USCIS) and eventually the scammers will threaten deportation and ask for money in the form of gift cards. Last year, students experienced a similar scam via email.
If you receive a threatening call or message from someone claiming to be a U.S., state, or local government or law enforcement official, do not provide any personal or financial information and end the conversation immediately. You can then contact ISSS for additional support. The scammers will likely threaten you to not hang up the phone, but this is a tactic to try to intimidate you and keep you on the phone. The scammers may know information about you, which can make it seem like they are from the government. However, government agents and immigration officials will never call and ask for personal identifiable information over the phone. They will also never make threats of arrest or deportation over the phone and will never tell you that you cannot contact the ISSS office for help.
If you experience a scam, ISSS encourages you to report the scam to the local police in addition to any of the following offices:
- Federal Trade Commission
- Colorado Attorney General’s Office
- Reporting Immigration Scams Outside of Colorado
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tip Line (if applicable)
- Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line (if applicable)
If you released any information to a scam caller, please contact the following on-campus offices to seek additional support or assistance:
- Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)
- Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS)
- CU Boulder Police Department
You may also read about other common scams on this USCIS website.
Please carefully review the ISSS website on scams to learn how to protect yourself.