How To Avoid International Student Scams

When studying abroad, it's critical to safeguard against international student scams. These are now considerably more prevalent and challenging to distinguish thanks to the growth of the internet. You should be aware of the following four international student scams, as well as what to do if one affects you.

Accommodation Scams

Finding housing in a strange city can be frightening, and sadly, housing scams are among the most prevalent frauds aimed at foreign students.

Sometimes, after showing a student a place to live, the deposit and first month's rent must be paid. The key they were given doesn't actually work, and the landlord is nowhere to be found when the student eventually returns to the rental.

Read Also: Procedure To Study Abroad

Other times, students will locate a property online, contact the owner, and then the owner will demand a holding or viewing fee.As you may expect, after this is paid, there is no more contact with the owner.

What To Do:

• Never send money to an account located abroad.
• If a property appears to be too good to be true, it most likely is.
• After visiting a property and making a deposit, if you are handed a key, check the key right away before you leave.
• You should never be required to pay a holding or viewing fee. This is illegal in every way.
• If at all possible, look for properties that are related to or associated with the institution.

Visa Scams

International student fraud is widespread, but visa fraud is also on the rise. This particular kind of fraud targets foreign students specifically and occurs everywhere.

It may also occur in a variety of other ways. To process their visas, many students employ visa services. These are typical, and the majority are absolutely real, but there are undoubtedly some that are not.

It's crucial to conduct your own research so you are aware of what you need and don't need to buy. Ask the visa provider about the steps and payments required along the route right at the beginning of the procedure.It might be a scam if this starts to alter as soon as the process starts.

A different kind of visa fraud occurs over the phone. You might get a call informing you that there is a problem with your visa application and that you must make a payment or even pay a fine for it to be processed.

Be extremely clear with me about this. If your application for a student visa is being processed properly, they would NEVER contact and want an additional payment.

What To Do: 

• If you utilise a visa service, make sure you have a written agreement outlining the entire procedure and the payment schedule before you pay anything.
• Don't provide any information or confirm any information if you get a call purporting to be from an immigration service (hackers can easily find your personal information).
• If you are concerned, speak up and then get in touch with the service. They probably won't understand what you're saying, as you will discover.

Please make sure to browse through our extensive knowledge base to find out how to submit a visa application.

Job Scams

It is extremely possible that you will begin seeking for work once you have settled into a new nation. Even though work scams aren't very widespread, you should be cautious of them.

People are occasionally given job offers before being requested for a tonne of personal information, such as bank account information and copies of identification, which can be used large steal someone else's identity. The issue is that most real jobs would request the same thing, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.

What To Do:

• A bogus job fraud can typically be immediately found online with a basic search. If there is no information available about the company, it most likely isn't legitimate.
• Be extremely cautious while disclosing personal information. An employer will never request anything more than the very minimum bank account information needed to pay you.
• Follow your intuition. When someone insists on meeting you outside rather than in the office because it's being "renovated," you should exercise caution.

Money Scams

This is a long-running hoax that preys on people of all backgrounds. One day, a complete stranger might send you an email with a flimsy justification for why they need to transfer money out of another nation.

By promising you a sizable number of money in exchange for allowing them to use your bank account for a short period of time, the scam makes it seem quite alluring.

You tell yourself, "This is too wonderful to be true," and you're right. You will typically be required to pay a deposit upfront, and after you do, you won't hear from that person again.

Another money scam involves thieves asking victims to accept stolen money before they transfer it to another bank account. If you do this, you may end yourself with a criminal record because it is money laundering.

What To Do: 

• Always be aware that there is a catch to every offer of free money. It is almost probably either unlawful or a total fraud if someone offers you money on the street or online.
• Because they are aware that international students frequently have less resources and may not completely comprehend what is going on, criminals frequently target them. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, read our article on budgeting and ask your university for assistance.

What To Do If You Believe You Are A Scam Victim

It's crucial to report a scam as soon as you suspect you may have been a victim. If it concerns financial information, it is probably a good idea to get in touch with your bank and university, but you should also report the crime.

• 866-DHS-2-ICE: USA-Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line
• Use Action Fraud's online tool in the UK.
• Canada: Call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or report fraud online at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center.
• Australia: Scamwatch accepts online reports of scams. Contact the Australian Tax Office (ATO), if you have paid money or provided personal information. You can report the fraud to the ATO online if you have received a scam email or phone call but have not provided any personal information or paid any money.

Scams are a regrettable aspect of our culture today. It's crucial to be aware of the warning signals of these frauds so you can stay away from them.

Consider asking yourself if something sounds too wonderful to be true. If the answer is yes, carefully consider what you are about to undertake and exercise caution.

Let scams not frighten you; we are here to assist. Find your ideal programme and school right now.