Several members of our campus community have reported receiving robocalls in Chinese. The message, translated by our partners in UD’s English Language Institute, claims that a package is waiting for you at the Chinese Embassy. The message goes on to explain that this package relates to your immigration status and that the embassy will send it back unless you follow their instructions to pick it up.
This call is a “vishing” scam, and an unfortunately common one in higher education. Knowing that UD attracts a diverse community of international students and scholars, cybercriminals target us in an attempt to exploit those who are concerned about, or unfamiliar with, the immigration process. Usually, these scammers claim that their victim’s visa or immigration status is at risk, or that they owe obscure taxes. They then demand your money or personal information to correct the issue. If you receive an email or phone call making these claims, don’t respond!
The Chinese Embassy posted an alert about this kind of scam earlier this year, urging recipients to ignore the call and reminding readers that “the Embassy and Consulates General of China would not ask for personal information, deliver parcel pick-up notice or ask people to answer inquiries from police department by way of phone calls.”
Faculty, staff, and students, help spread the word! Please warn your peers about this scam, and encourage them to warn others in kind. If someone you know may have been affected, urge them to reach out for help.
If you believe you have been affected by this scam, contact the Office for International Students & Scholars (OISS) at (302) 831-2115 or oiss@udel.edu.
OISS also offers the following resources:
- OISS 101, a guide employees can use to better understand the immigration process and how to help those who are engaged with it.
- Guard Your Personal Information, a brief guide to protecting your personal data from common scams.
If you hear of a similar scam in the future, please help protect our community by notifying OISS. If you receive a phishing email, you can forward it to reportaphish@udel.edu.