Nov. 6, 2020
Please read this information as a guide to help you with your remote studies and to maintain valid immigration status.
Contents:
- IMPORTANT! Phone scam alert!
- A guided meditation just for you
- International counseling recommendations
- International doctoral students: online survey about your writing needs
- New student portal!
- IMPORTANT! Phone scam alert!
If someone claiming to be a U.S. government official or law enforcement officer calls threatening you with deportation or any other negative immigration consequences – hang up immediately! This is a sophisticated scam (fraud)!
USCIS and other government agencies will NEVER contact you over the phone to request payment immediately or to ask for identifying information.
Recently, students in our area began receiving calls from a phone number that looks like a legitimate government number. When you answer, the person on the phone poses as a USCIS, FBI, IRS, or other government official or law enforcement officer. The scammer or scammers will say that there is a problem with your application or that additional information is required to continue the immigration process. Then, they will often ask for sensitive personal and financial information, demand payment, and threaten you with deportation, arrest, or other negative consequences if you do not comply immediately.
The scammer will then order victims to make a payment – and will often order them to go to a nearby bank or store and withdraw money or purchase a prepaid card, Steam card, Apple gift card, Google Play gift card voucher, or money order or make some other wire transfer, money exchange, payment, or withdrawal. (Note that the scammers are often able to direct victims to nearby banks or stores by using online maps to study the area in which a victim resides.) Again – if you receive a call like that, hang up immediately!
If you receive a suspicious email or voice message and are not sure if it is a scam, please contact ISSS at ip.intlservices@wsu.edu. Also, please visit the USCIS Avoid Scam page at https://www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams
If you have been a victim of one of these please contact our office and report it to the Federal Trade Commission online: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?OrgCode=USDOEVCC
- A guided meditation just for you
The International Center hosts a weekly International Student Meditation Series. Explore a new meditation topic each week and learn to show yourself a little kindness.
When: Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. (Pullman time)
Where: This Zoom link (Meeting ID: 927 8035 6382 Password: 843653)
- International counseling recommendations
If you are outside the U.S. currently and need special counseling recommendations, you may benefit from contacting 7Cups. Our office does not endorse this company but is aware they provide peer support internationally in a variety of languages and are used in over 100 countries.
- International doctoral students: online survey about your writing needs
International doctoral students – If you are interested in participating in a confidential online survey about your writing needs, please contact Brenna Butler, bberry10@vols.utk.edu. She a doctoral student at University of Tennessee conducting her dissertation on the writing needs of international doctoral students studying at U.S. institutions. You can enter a raffle for 1 of 20 books on scholarly writing, or for 1 of 10 $15 Amazon gift cards.
- New student portal!
The ISSS office has a new portal page for our international students. You can find links to our website as well as a permanent Zoom link you can use Monday-Friday, 1-3 p.m. (U.S. Pacific time) to speak with an advisor. We encourage you to take advantage of this great new resource.
This Advisory and previous issues are posted at https://ip.wsu.edu/on-campus/immigration-advisories
If you have any questions about the above announcements, please contact International Student and Scholar Services.
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- WSU Pullman students contact +1 509-335-4508 or intlservices@wsu.edu
- WSU Vancouver students contact Caitlyn Schock at +1 360-546-9514 or dso@wsu.edu
- WSU Spokane students contact Kristie Brink at +1 509-358-7963 or kkclark@wsu.edu
- WSU Everett students contact Anna McLeod at +1 425-405-1727 or mcleod2@wsu.edu
- WSU Tri-Cities students contact Karina Barajas at +1 509-372-7358 or barajas@wsu.edu