USCIS Telephone Scam Alert

The United Sates Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a warning on October 22, 2012 advising of a telephone scam intended to victimize foreign nationals. According to the USCIS, scammers posing as USCIS employees have been contacting individuals by telephone and aggressively pushing them to sign up for a fictitious USCIS training course.

Scammers Seek Financial Information Over the Phone

The scammers claim that the training course is led by government officials. If they manage to get the victim to agree to sign up for the course, they seek financial information, such as credit card and bank account details. The USCIS wishes to alert potential victims to this scam and assure them that the USCIS never calls to request payment for services via telephone and does not engage in telemarketing.

More Information in USCIS Blog

A full copy of this warning can be found on the official USCIS blog, The Beacon. MurthyDotCom readers are reminded to be on the alert for any such calls. If you receive a call that you suspect to be part of a scam, report it to the appropriate local, state, or federal law enforcement authorities.

It is unfortunate that some criminals take advantage of foreign nationals who may not be fully familiar with USCIS practices. While it is necessary to pay filing fees with most immigration forms, other programs and outreach efforts by the USCIS are usually offered free of charge. We thank the USCIS for exposing this underhanded scheme in The Beacon.

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