Phone Scam Targets USCIS Petitioners and Applicants

Client Portal

Facebook

Twitter

Phone Scam Targets USCIS Petitioners and Applicants

August 20, 2013

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has just released a warning regarding a new telephone scam targeting USCIS applicants and petitioners. Scammers are using a technique called “Caller ID spoofing” to display a misleading or inaccurate phone number in a recipient’s Caller ID. The scammer poses as a USCIS official and requests personal information (such as Social Security number, passport number, or A-number), identifies supposed issues in the recipient’s immigration records, and asks for payment to correct these records.

If you receive a call like that, USCIS urges you to say “No, thank you” and hang up immediately.

As a reminder, USCIS never asks for any form of payment or personal information over the phone. Do not give payment or personal information over the phone to anyone who claims to be a USCIS official. Always protect your personal information and do not provide details about your immigration application in any public area.

If you have been a victim of this telephone scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission , or report it to an appropriate state authority. (Click here for information on where to report scams in your state.)

If you have a question about your immigration record, the USCIS recommends that you call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283, or make an InfoPass appointment.