The American Immigration Lawyers Association has issued a warning notification regarding a new scam potentially victimizing foreign nationals. According to one report, the individual will receive a call purporting to be from a USCIS officer, who will have certain correct information on the individual, including the individual’s name and address. The caller will state that there is some discrepancy in USCIS records, and ask for confirmation of data, such as an I-94 number, an “A” number, or a visa control number. The caller will then tell the individual that there is a penalty for not clearing up the discrepancy, and that the individual is to send a sum of money via Western Union, to an address the caller provides.
Please be advised that USCIS will never contact you by phone in this manner, even if you have an application pending before the Service, and will never request the payment of funds via Western Union. If you do receive a call like this, DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY and report them to appropriate law enforcement authorities, such as the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, whose Consumer Sentinel database is accessed by criminal and civil law enforcement authorities worldwide.