About Scams
Scammers (thieves trying to trick victims) are targeting individuals in Southern California. Scammers posing as local police officers, trusted friends or colleagues, agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), travel companies, apartment leasing companies, and immigration agencies – such as the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Embassies abroad are contacting students and demanding money and personal information.
Never provide personal information or money to anyone who has contacted you by phone, email or the Internet claiming you have violated your immigration status or owe taxes and must transfer money through Western Union, or other companies, in order to rectify your immigration status.
Avoid making cash transactions with strangers. Most scams are achieved by a stranger approaching you with either a sad story or a business offer. They seek to gain money from you in exchange for something that may not be true. If you do not know the person desiring to make a cash transaction, SMC PD recommends that you summon or request an SMC police officer to witness the transaction. Alternatively, ask the person to meet with you at the DPS station to make the transaction. More likely, the stranger would not be comfortable with an officer present.
If you are contacted by such persons, do not reveal any personal information. Ask for their contact information, and report the incident to the Santa Monica College Police Department and or your local law enforcement agency immediately.
Beware of Tax Scams
Do not fall victim to scammers who call and say they are with the Internal Revenue Service (opens in new window) (IRS)! More and more phone scams have been happening in which people will call and threaten you with police arrest or deportation if you do not pay them.
Please be advised, even if you do owe taxes:
- The IRS will Never call and demand immediate payment over the phone.
- The IRS will Never threaten or intimidate you, demand payment with a prepaid debit card, or ask for your credit card or debit card number over the phone.
- The IRS will Never threaten to call the police or immigration agents if you don't pay.
If you receive a call like this, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration online (opens in new window) or by calling 1 (800) 366-4484 and report it online to the Federal Trade Commission (opens in new window) .