The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently learned of a new telephone scam targeting individuals and employers with applications pending with the USCIS. Using a technique called “caller ID spoofing,” which displays a misleading or inaccurate phone number in a recipient’s caller ID, the callers then pose as USCIS officials and request personal information of the applicant, such as Social Security Number, Passport Number and/or Alien Number. The scammer then cites supposed issues in the recipient’s immigration records, and requests immediate payment to correct the records via wire transfer or credit card payment. The USCIS Public Engagement Division has confirmed that they never ask for any form of payment or personal information over the phone. Victims of this telephone scam should immediately report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission or an appropriate state authority.
