News

Feb 1, 2024

Stop. Don’t fall for scams.

An increasing number of international students and scholars are targeted by scams. The most common scams involve immigration, tuition, taxes, employment and travel.

Please be suspicious if anyone demands that you wire them money. Do not share your personal (SSN, passport number, date of birth) or financial information (debit/credit card number, bank account number) with unknown persons. Remember that government officials will never call you and ask you for money or threaten deportation. If you fall victim to a scam, contact law enforcement by calling 614-292-2121 or 614-645-4545.

Remember:

  • If it sounds too good to be true, it is
  • Never give your personal information over the phone or through email
  • The university/government will NOT call or email you directly and ask for personal identifiers, passwords or pin numbers
  • If you receive an email that looks legitimate, but you aren’t sure, don’t click the links or use the phone numbers on it – go to the official homepage or call the main phone line
  • Beware of threats meant to scare you into giving money/information
  • If you aren’t sure, ask someone you trust (supervisor, instructor, lawyer, immigration coordinator, law enforcement)

For more guidance on avoiding scams, please visit the scam pages of the Ohio State Student Legal Services (SLS) website and of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

If you believe you are the victim of any type of scam or fraudulent activity, please report it to the police and also schedule an appointment to speak to an SLS attorney (visit studentlegal.osu.edu or call 614-247-5853).

Read more at go.osu.edu/scams.