The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ACF) has received reports from World Relief that the perpetrators of a nationwide telephone scam targeting refugees have changed their approach to obtain money and personal information.
An Iraqi refugee in Washington State was contacted from a blocked number on Sunday evening, and asked to verify personal information including his refugee case number, home address, and benefits account number. The caller identified himself as a World Relief employee, from their (non-existent) Montana office.
Everyone is advised to be extra-vigilant with unsolicited calls, especially those requesting personal information. If you are the target of one of these calls, you should file an online report at www.ic3.gov.
ORR will continue to update this page as necessary. Please help to spread the word throughout the refugee community and service providers network.
For more details, please visit: http://transition.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/news/telephone-scam-targeting-refugees