If you receive a phone call that appears to come from the Canadian government’s Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Call Centre (1-888-242-2100), hang up! Scammers are altering their caller IDs to appear as if they are calling from the IRCC Call Centre. The scammers tell people that their names and identities are under federal investigation. Sometimes they tell individuals that there is a legal case, an affidavit, and/or allegations against them.

If you receive a call demanding personal information or payment, hang up immediately. If you want to verify whether a call is from USCIS, you may:

• Make an InfoPass appointment at http://infopass.uscis.gov;
• Use myUSCIS to find up-to-date information about your application; or
• Call our National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 to ask if you need to do anything about your case or immigration status.

Remember, USCIS officials will never threaten you or ask for payment over the phone or in an email. Do not give payment over the phone to anyone who claims to be a USCIS official. All requests for official payments will arrive on government stationery. In general, we encourage you to protect your personal information and not provide details about your immigration case in any public area.

If you receive a scam email or phone call, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at http://1.usa.gov/1suOHSS. If you are not sure if it is a scam, forward the suspicious email to the USCIS webmaster at uscis.webmaster@uscis.dhs.gov. USCIS will review the emails received and share with law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

Visit the Avoid Scams Initiative at www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams for more information on common scams and other important tips.

CREDIT: USCIS