Scammers Now Taking Aim At International Students

This shouldn't come as a surprise to you but another scam has been reported. This time, scammers are taking aim at international students, posing as an employee of the federal government and trying to get them to fork over some dough.

The Federal Trade Commission revealed details of this new scam on their website Monday. According to them, students from foreign countries have reported getting phone calls that "look like they're from the government."

The caller on the other end of the line knows about "a student's immigration status and the program or school they're attending." From there, the scammer will say there's an issue with their documents or visa and demand a payment to "fix" it.

These scammers are demanding the student pay up immediately, at times asking for thousands of dollars via a gift card or something like it. If the students don't pay, they are threatened with arrest or deportation.

The good news is this scam has not been reported in the Northland. However, it's still important to know about in case it does pop up AND it's always good to be reminded of scam warning signs. Keep the following tips and tricks in mind:

• The federal government will never call you, threaten you or ask for payment.
• The federal government will never ask to be paid with gift cards or cryptocurrency.
• Call the immigration office directly if you have a question or are concerned with something the scammer is saying.
• Talk to a school official or a member of law enforcement about the scam phone call to make them aware of the scam so they can spread the word.
• Do not give out any personal information over the phone.

It may seem like you've heard this all a thousand times by now but scammers are getting more advanced. It's never a bad thing to read over some helpful information so you don't fall victim in the future.

With tax season in full swing, it's smart to read up on some facts about what the IRS will and won't do so you can avoid one of the many scams that pop up during this time of year.

Scammers aren't just focusing on tax season, though. Just a few weeks ago, a scam was going around Northern Minnesota. A scammer was pretending to work for Dish Network and offering an upgraded television package for a fee in an effort to gain money and personal information.