Have you ever received a threatening email or phone call from someone claiming to be a government official? This is likely a scam. Cybercriminals target international students by posing as representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other government agencies. The goal is to get you to send an immediate payment or share sensitive information, like your Social Security number, banking information, or GatorLink password.

We partnered with UF Information Technology (UFIT) to provide more information on how to recognize and report these scams. Our Director of International Student Support Services Debra Anderson shares some helpful tips in this video: https://youtu.be/HI5mPDNeZIU

If you have any questions about an email or phone call you receive, please contact us. We can help determine if the email or call is a legitimate contact from a U.S. government agency. You can also use the Phish Alert Button in GatorMail to report suspicious emails to UF’s Information Security Office staff. They will investigate where the email was sent from and potentially block the sender from UF’s network.

Stay safe, Gators!