What is a Scam?
Scams are dishonest, illegal schemes to make money. There are several ways that people try and defraud, like a phone call from a stranger posing as a government official or law enforcement, a potential employer or landlord asking for personal and financial information before ever meeting you or emails from unknown addresses requesting information urgently. Services for International Students and Scholars within Global Affairs is learning about an increase in the number of scams targeting international students and scholars.
While at UC Davis, we hope that you will never be contacted by someone attempting to "scam" or defraud you of your money. Unfortunately, as is true anywhere in the world, there are people who attempt to take advantage of international students and scholars.
Learn how to identify a scam and avoid falling victim to the scheme. The common scams page has general information about a variety of scams you may encounter, how to prevent them, and how to report them.
What to do if you are the victim of a scam
- Contact the police immediately
- Alert your bank and replace your debit or credit card if necessary
- Inform your SISS Advisor or email siss@ucdavis.edu
Learn More About Protecting Yourself from Scams
Resources
- Do you recognize a false website? Test your knowledge
- Federal Trade Commission pamphlets in several languages
- USCIS webpages on how to avoid scams and also where to report a scam
- University of California security awareness tips
- The UC Davis Internship and Career Center has seven ways to safeguard yourself from a job phishing scam