Skip to main content

The International Students and Scholars Center at Arizona State University wants to help you protect yourself from common scams that are targeting international students seeking employment opportunities or who are currently on Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization. Students are starting to receive scams regarding employment positions that turn out to not be legitimate. Don’t be fooled by these scams. Scam email example:We presently have an opening for someone who is willing to work from his/her residence as an administrative assistant. I looked over your resume and I would like to invite you for a virtual interview to tell you a little more about the available position and also get to know you better. We believe our success depends on having the best and brightest employees, and helping them attain full potential. It will be about a 30-45 minute chat session. If you receive an email or a phone call from an unknown person who claims to be an employer: Do not give them any personal or financial information.Do not give them any money, including Google Pay, iTunes or Bitcoin.Do not accept money for an offer such as buying home office supplies or gift cards.End the conversation immediately if threats and intimidation persist.Contact the ISSC by phone or email.Collect the emailer or caller’s contact information.Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission.Report the scam to ICE’s anonymous Homeland Security Investigations tip line. Please remember that scammers often send emails with many typos and grammatical errors. They often offer to hire you without an interview and even pay you before you’ve done any work. None of these are behaviors of a reputable business. If you are the target of a scam, please notify the ISSC at 480-727-4776 or ISSC@asu.edu. For more tips to avoid scams, please visit the following links: Scam alert: employment scams target college students.Social Security number scams.USCIS tips to avoid scams.Homeland Security tip card.Study in the states.Federal Trade Commission.U.S. News & World Report: What international students should know about scams.Newsweek: U.S. scammers threaten international students with deportation.