New FBI Attack Warning — Hang Up And Do This Now
Beware this US visa attack campaign.
Cybercriminals thrive on fear, uncertainty and doubt. That’s why so many phishing attacks aim to leverage the urgency and knee-jerk reaction that come when a seemingly worrying scenario confronts a victim. From the classic and shameful Hello Pervert campaign, attacks against Gmail users that claim their account is, oh the irony, being attacked by a hacker, and even concerns over President Trump’s tariff plans, all are employed in this way. And talking of Trump plans, this latest warning from the FBI reveals that deportation fears are coming into play as a dangerous and costly new attack campaign is underway.
FBI Warns Lawful Foreigners At Risk From New Attack Campaign
Imagine being a lawful foreign student in the U.S. with a perfectly valid visa, already somewhat spooked by media reports of others being arrested and deported. Now imagine that you got a phone call, text, or email message from what appears for all intents and purposes to be the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, or US Citizenship and Immigration Services informing you that there are problems with your visa. Imagine no more, because that’s exactly what is happening, according to a new public service advisory from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI alert, I-051325-PSA, confirmed that attackers are targeting those foreign individuals who are studying perfectly legally in the U.S. and threatening them with prosecution or deportation for totally false visa violations. Unless, that is, the victim pays for unnecessary administration and legal fees to correct the issue that doesn’t exist in the first place.
At the time of the alert publication, most of the victims were known to be those studying in the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. Given the success of the campaign, there’s no reason to expect the attackers to stop there, and other foreign students are likely to be targeted down the road. “In 2024,” the FBI said, “government impersonation fraud schemes such as this cost the American public over $405 million in losses.”
FBI Deportation Attack Mitigation Recommendations
Given that these attacks are happening now, targeting those already in the U.S., and employing people (or potentially AI-powered imposters) with a professional manner and correct use of language for the victim concerned, along with spoofed telephone numbers and website URLs of the agencies being impersonated, it’s imperative for all foreign students to take mitigating action now.
The FBI recommended the following:
- Verify you are speaking with a government official by hanging up and contacting the office through a third-party obtained number.
- Verify that the website visited is a secure or encrypted site, as government websites are.
- Do not provide information until you have verified the identity of the caller.
- Do not download files unless you have already verified the source.
- Do not give anyone your 2FA code used to log in to any accounts.
If you think this campaign may have already targeted you, you are advised to contact the FBI or the Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the Department of State, along with the diplomatic security office at your home country’s embassy.