Published on May 12, 2016
OIA has just become aware that a member of our international community was recently contacted by individuals conducting a sophisticated tax scam that seems to target international students.
The scam consists of someone contacting an international student, claiming to be a representative of the IRS or other federal agency, and stating that unless money is paid immediately, the student’s visa will be revoked or they will be arrested.
In this specific incident, the caller had some of the student's personal information, provided them with a case number, and gave a fake name and badge ID. They explained that the student should not have used Glacier to file their taxes and that their taxes were filed incorrectly. The callers then explained that the issue would be cleared up if the student paid a large sum of money.
Often in these scams, the caller will have some personal information and become more demanding and angry as the conversation continues. This makes the demand seem very real and the threats so much more frightening.
If you are approached in this or a similar manner, it is very important to understand that this is an attempt to defraud you. The person contacting you is not a legitimate IRS, law enforcement or immigration official and under no circumstances should you pay any money or otherwise follow the instructions given. The IRS will never contact you via phone or email and will only send official communication through the mail.
If you are approached, you should contact your local police department right away and then contact OIA. Here are the police department numbers:
Calling UCPD from a campus phone: Dial 123
Calling UCPD from any phone: Dial 773.702.8181
Calling the Chicago Police Department: Dial 911
Anywhere else in the US, calling your local police department: Dial 911
If you call a local police department and have difficulty with the process there, call UCPD for assistance.
Once you have contacted police, please also contact OIA. You can do so by either contacting your regular adviser in our office, or by calling/e-mailing OIA’s front office (773.702.7752; international-affairs@uchicago.edu) asking to be connected with Tamara Felden, OIA's Director.
Please do not hesitate to contact OIA if you have questions or concerns about this. I ask you to also be a good ally to others who may not have received this message but may be at risk.