The past 2 weeks were really hard for me. Being fooled for an entire week, I reached out for help when I eventually crumbled. In this post, I’ll share:
- What happened to me?
- How to better protect ourselves from scammers and identity thefts?
- What should we do when bad things happen?
What happened?
I received a phone call claiming he was a staff from T-Mobile. The man said FCC found my phone had sent multiple malicious text messages so they wanted to check if that was me.
👩 “I have no idea what you are saying. I’m an AT&T user.”
👨🦱 “But our system showed that someone used your passport to apply for this phone. The SIM card pickup address is at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. If it was not you, you better call the Chinese Police so they can check the surveillance camera and prove your words.”
They transfered my call to a Chinese Police. The police picked up the phone and requested me to make a statement (❗ Here he asked for many detailed information and also received a passport copy. ❗) He suspected I might leak my passport information earlier. The police checked in his system then found out that “I” opened a bank account, which was involved in a severe investment scam, in China last year.
The police threatened me that as a suspect, I need to report to him three times a day about where I am and what I’m doing. A few days later, he sent me a picture which was my passport but with another woman’s profile. He used this to convinced me that I am a victim of identity theft.
After a week, he asked me to buy a flight ticket to Dallas to help him supervise another suspect, claiming that only by doing so can I prove I am innocent. That moment, I suddenly burst into tears. I reached out to a friend.
She showed me the whole thing, from T-mobile to the police, was a scam.
🔍 This plot was used since 2020, apparently targeting chinese-speaking international students.
How to protect ourselves
There are 2 parts in my story, being scammed and being used for identity theft.
🎃 These can help you stay away from Scammers
- In U.S., if you get a call NOT in English, hang up right away!
- Government agencies in U.S. will NOT reach out to people via phone calls (or even emails). They use paper mails instead. We can also take the paper mail to international office on campus to let them varify it.
- Do NOT make payments over phone calls.
- Install anti-spoofing apps.
🎃 These can reduce the risk of being a victim of identity theft
- Add a watermark on IDs for online applications.
- Do NOT send IDs via software or email.
- Shred credit card, bank or investment statements.
If bad things still happened
☝ Stop blaming ourselves
Scammer’s words sound rediculous when thinking back, but they are professional! They know how to trick us in different situations. Hence, do not feel shameful or embarrassed to admit we are scammed (hug ️💛
✌ Reach out for help
As I shared my passport with the scammer, I’m worried that they can use that information on my behalf. I thus report to:
1️⃣ The Bank: Inform them that someone has my information.
Bank of America says scammers cannot do anything solely with the passport information (unless you shared pin code or password). Yet, it is still recommended to regularly monitor the account to see if there is any suspicious activity.
2️⃣ Local Police: It’s important to have a record for the police 👮♂️
911 is for emergency. I called Austin Police (512) 974–2000. They sent me a service request number and promised to reach back in 12 hours. But it has been one week and there is still no calls… 🙄
3️⃣ The Embassy: Check whether the passport remains valid or need to apply for a new one.
Phone number for Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States is (202) 895–1800, while its emergency hotline is (202) 669–0180. They stated that my passport is still valid and no need to change.
4️⃣ AT&T: Request to change phone number.
If you are using a prepaid card like I do, they suggest to apply for another prepaid card.
🤠 Resources in UT Austin
It can take centries before hearing back from authorities listed above 🥱 Thus, I highly recommend students to utilize campus resources.
- UT Police Department (512 471 4441, option 9): They provide recommendations for support (Super helpful😍)
- UT Student Emergency Services: They are able to list related resources for us (e.g. who to call? where to report?)
- Texas Global: They are professional in helping international students :D
If you have no idea about any resource, just reach out to *ANY* trustworthy faculty. I asked a professor for help. He further involved all of the departments listed above to support me 🧡
Bad things can happen, but you are not alone!
