by the team at Assist America

Traveling solo as a student offers a unique sense of freedom and independence, but extra preparation can help you explore safely and confidently, especially if it’s your first time in a new city or country.

Being informed, organized, and cautious ensures that your experience abroad is both enjoyable and secure.

Planning and Preparation

Before departure, research your destination thoroughly. Visa requirements, local laws, cultural customs, and social norms can vary greatly from one country to another and understanding them is essential for students navigating unfamiliar environments.

Learning a few basic phrases in the local language can make a big difference when asking for directions, ordering food, or seeking help. Consult reliable sources such as government travel pages, university study abroad resources, and reputable travel platforms to stay informed.

Share your travel itinerary with family, friends, or a campus contact and plan regular check-ins while you’re abroad. Keep essential information, your accommodation, local embassy, trusted contacts, and emergency numbers, easily accessible.

Familiarize yourself with your surroundings by reviewing maps, identifying key landmarks, and planning safe routes between destinations. Knowing which neighborhoods to avoid and understanding local transportation options will help you feel confident when navigating the new environment while reducing potential risks.

Staying Connected

Stay always connected. Carry a charged cell phone, keep your student ID and any necessary medical information with you, and maintain both digital and physical copies of important documents.

Stick to planned itineraries, avoid unfamiliar districts after dark, and be aware of your surroundings to prevent theft or other safety issues. When staying in student housing, dorms, or temporary accommodations, always secure your room and use any locks or chains provided.

Be cautious when interacting with new people, meet them in public areas rather than inviting them into a private setting. When using taxis, ride-share services, or public transit, choose licensed providers and avoid sitting in the front seat of a vehicle.

Respect local customs, regarding public behavior, and steer clear of demonstrations or gatherings that could turn unpredictable.

Smart Travel Practices

Be mindful of your social media activity as well. Avoid posting real-time updates about your location or plans and consider using separate devices for travel related communications that doesn’t contain sensitive personal information.

Trust your instincts; if a situation, location, or individual feels unsafe, leave immediately.

Finally, remember that local police and security services may not always provide reliable assistance. Keep the contact information for your country’s embassy or consulate handy, as they can offer critical support during emergencies, from lost passports to urgent medical needs.

Being prepared, alert, and informed allows students to enjoy their solo travel adventures abroad while minimizing risks and staying safe.

Conclusion

Traveling alone as a student can be an incredibly rewarding experience, offering independence, personal growth, and cultural insight. By planning ahead, staying aware of your surroundings, and keeping essential contacts and resources at hand, you can navigate new cities and countries with confidence.

Combining practical safety measures with intuition and responsible decision making ensures that your study abroad or solo adventure is both enriching and secure. With the right preparation and support, including services provided by Assist America, students can focus on exploring, learning, and fully enjoying every moment of their journey.

Downloading the Assist America Travel App before departure adds an extra layer of reassurance, placing important resources, contact information, and access to the 24/7 Operations Center directly at your fingertips, so help is always within reach.

January marks a pivotal transition point for international students returning to campus. While many feel energized for a new semester, others may experience homesickness, emotional fatigue, or difficulty readjusting after time away from familiar people, places, and routines.

Being far from home can intensify everyday challenges. Seasonal changes, academic pressure, cultural differences, and navigating the U.S. healthcare system can feel overwhelming, especially for students managing these experiences on their own for the first time.

Homesickness is a normal part of the student experience

Homesickness is not a sign of weakness; it is a common and expected part of global mobility. What matters most is how institutions respond and how quickly students are reminded that support is available.

The role of early support and access to care

International Student & Scholar Services teams are often the first to notice when students begin to withdraw or struggle. Encouraging student to seek help early and be proactive about their well-being, academic engagement, and persistence.

When healthcare resources are easy to understand and simple to access, students are more likely to seek care for physical symptoms, mental health concerns, or emotional support related to adjustment and isolation. Reducing barriers such as transportation challenges or long wait times helps students feel supported and confident in navigating care.

Why it matters

Students who feel supported are more likely to remain engaged, seek help when needed, and succeed academically and socially. Clear communication around care options reinforces a sense of safety and belonging during key transition periods.

Quick reminders to give students

School administrators and leaders can help students by reminding them of the following options:

• Use Teladoc for 24/7 medical and mental health
• Remember that Togetherall offers a safe, anonymous peer community whenever support is needed
• Students should download and save their insurance ID card so it is ready when needed

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2.6 million reports regarding scams, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $12.5 billion in victim losses.

Unfortunately, anyone can be the target for a scammer, including international students. To increase our collective awareness, we at LewerMark have developed a three-part series to describe known scams and their “red flags”—things you can look for that help identify a scam for what it is (click here for Part 2 ). In Part 3, we will provide advice on protecting yourself from, and reacting to, a scam.

Let’s begin with some well-known scams, so you know what to look out for:

Fake Government Call Scams

This scam preys on international students’ fears. Scammers know many international students may be in a financially difficult position due to the coronavirus pandemic. An international student will receive a call or an email from someone claiming to be from the federal government. The fake government person (the scammer) will say there is a problem with the student’s immigration status and threaten arrest or deportation. The scammer will demand immediate payment to correct the situation by depositing a check or cryptocurrency for a large sum of money.

If you receive a call or email like this, hang up the phone or save the email to report to the authorities, and talk to your international student advisor. Your fellow students likely received a similar call or email. If you are concerned about your visa status or immigration documentation, call the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at (800) 375-5283.

Red Flags: How You Can Tell It Is a Scam

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed an infographic and full blog post detailing how to spot these kinds of scams. Warning signals include:

• The request comes from someone you don’t know.
  No one trusts a stranger with their money.

• The scammer threatens immediate payment to fix the problem or be arrested.
  The U.S. Government will not act like this, nor request payment.

• The scammer wants to send you money so you can send it back.
  There is no legitimate reason to send someone money only to have them send it back.

• The scammer wants you to complete a wire or electronic transfer.
  These methods of payment are entirely untraceable.

Illegal Chinese Passport Scheme

This scam targets explicitly international students from China. You will receive a phone call from individuals posing as Chinese government officials speaking in Mandarin. They will tell you that you’ve been connected to an illegal passport scheme led by a corrupt government official and that your economic status as a “poor student” provides your motive. In another version of the scam, they will say the student’s bank account has been compromised and is being used for criminal activities. They will go on to tell you that, to prove your innocence, you must send them a copy of your passport and a refundable fee. Even if you ignore them, they may continue to call and threaten you, and may also allege that you must return to China and appear in court. They may even say not to contact friends and family because it will put them in danger as well.

These scammers are very savvy, as they spoof an actual government number and will share photos, documents, and badges supposedly proving they are government officials.

Red Flags:

• The scammer claims to be a government official.
  Officials from your home country will never call or email you. If anything is wrong, you will receive official paperwork.

• The scammer demands immediate payment.
  Neither U.S. agencies nor your home country’s government will call you requesting immediate payment (wire transfer, gift cards, etc.) of any kind.

• The caller demands wire transfers or gift cards.
  These methods of payment are entirely untraceable.

Online Dating Scams

Everyone gets a little lonely at times, and International students are no exception.  Scammers know millions of people use online dating sites, and they are, too - hiding behind fake profiles. If you have an online love interest asking you for money, that's a scam. Here's what to look out for:

Red Flags:

The FTC has provided resources on identifying online dating scams, and here are some of the biggest red flags:

• Professes love quickly. 
  The scammer hopes that by overwhelming you with love quickly, you'll be easier to manipulate. The longer it goes on, the harder the con will be to maintain.

• Asks for money, and lures you off the dating site.
  They want you all to themselves.

• Claims to need money for emergencies, hospital bills, or travel. 
  Be wary of anyone asking you for money, regardless of why.

• Plans to visit, but can't because of an emergency.
  The scammer hopes to gain your sympathy.

Key Takeaway

Scammers can make you feel scared or uneasy, push you to make a decision too quickly or demand that you part with money or personal information. The important thing to remember is to not react in the moment. Instead, take time to look for red flags that indicate you have been targeted by a scammer. If you are a target, don’t worry — you haven’t done anything wrong and are not in trouble. Simply report your experience to your advisor so they can alert other students to the scam.

In Part 2 of our series, we will look at additional scams and their red flags. In Part 3, we will discuss what you can do to protect yourself, and how to react if you happen to fall victim to a scam.

In Part 1 of our series, we identified three scams, including fake calls/email scams, the “Illegal Chinese Passport Scheme,” and online dating scams. We also described the “red flags”—things you can look for to help identify a scam.

In this post, we will continue to identify some of the most common scams and their red flags. If you’d like to know how students and schools can protect themselves from scams, and how to react if you fall victim to a scam, you can skip straight to Part 3.

For now, let’s continue with some other well-known scams, so you know what to look out for:

Student Housing Scams

A scammer will list a rental for a very low, “too good to be true” price. They may include a lot of detail in the listing, as well as photos. However, if you contact the scammer, they will refuse to show the property for any number of reasons. Instead, they will tell you that you must send a security deposit and/or the first month’s rent via wire transfer in exchange for keys to the rental. In a variation of this scam, scammers will reach out to students regarding housing and will push you to secure a rental by sending money right away. You may also experience similar scams on Craiglist and other online marketplaces.

Red Flags:

• The rent price is “too good to be true.”
  As the adage states, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

• There is no address in the listing.
  All legitimate listings will include the property address.

• The rental owner claims to be away on a business trip, vacation, etc. and refuses to show the property.
  Being out of the country is a common excuse in a variety of scams.

• You are required to sign a contract or send money before seeing the property.
  Legitimate property owners will always allow you to see the property before signing or paying.

• The caller demands wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments cannot be traced.

OPT Scams

If you are an F-1 visa international student looking to enter an Optional Practical Training (OPT) or work program in the U.S., be careful as you weigh your options and do your research. There are a variety of scams targeting you:

1. Recently, OPT students have received calls from scammers posing as USCIS or SEVP or ICE officials claiming there is something wrong with your application or asking to verify personal information with you. They may also request payment.
2. Some students have reported receiving communications that appear to come from reputable companies, usually by phone or email. The scammer will discuss how difficult it is for companies to sponsor international students and will suggest that the student self-sponsor their employment for a “refundable” fee.
3. Some “official” programs are scams in disguise. These kinds of programs usually communicate very aggressively and won’t provide very many details. They may also verbally offer compensation for your work, but exclude it in the final contract.

All three of the scams listed above will specifically try to target OPT students. Whether they ask for personal information or money or try to force you into a shady contract, they are all disreputable. Your best bet is to hang up and block them from your phone and email.

Red Flags:

• You receive a call from an official U.S. government agency.
  Government agencies will never call or email you. They will send official paperwork.

• The business name is one or two letters off from a legitimate business name.
  Legitimate businesses will not misspell their own name.

• Corporate officers are unreachable.
  You should always be able to get ahold of someone at a legitimate place of business.

• The supposed employer won’t offer details regarding the company, work, and compensation.
  All these pieces of information will be readily available for a legitimate job opportunity.

• The email is not from a business address and/or is full of typos.
  Hiring professionals and job recruiters will use business email addresses and be professional in their communications.

Scholarship Scams

Most international students are on extremely tight budgets and need scholarships and grants to help pay for their studies in the U.S. Unfortunately, scammers know this and will prey on students and their parents looking for financial assistance by paying for a service to find scholarships.  Some of these scams will “guarantee” finding a scholarship if you send personal information or money to hold the scholarship.

Red Flags:

• You, or your parents, are asked to give banking information upfront.
  Legitimate scholarships will not require you to disclose a bank account or credit card information to hold a scholarship.

• The scholarship service “guarantees” you a scholarship or grant.
  Be aware no one can guarantee you will receive a grant or scholarship.

• Payment must be made via wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments are untraceable and suspicious.

• If a service says a scholarship will cost to apply, research the scholarship upfront to make sure it is a legitimate scholarship before paying any application fees.

“You’ve Won!” Scams

These types of scams are usually conducted via phone or email and claim you have won something, like a lottery or free trip. The catch is, you have to pay some kind of processing fee or taxes to claim your prize. They will typically request either a wire transfer or your bank or credit card information.

Red Flags:

• You didn’t enter to win the prize they are offering.
  You have to enter a giveaway in order to win.

• The sender claims you have been chosen at random.
  There are always prerequisites to winning, even if the final winner is randomly selected.

• You have to pay or provide personal information to claim the prize.
  Legitimate giveaways are free to enter and should not require personal information.

• Payment must be made via wire transfers or gift cards.
  These kinds of payments are untraceable and suspicious.

Other Imposter Phone Scams

Scams are widely conducted via telephone and usually feature a scammer posing as an authority figure like a police officer or government official. They will attempt to scare you and may threaten civil action or arrest if you don’t do what they tell you. Typically, they offer to let you off the hook if you send money in the form of a wire transfer or gift cards.

Some scam callers will get even more creative and will pretend to know someone you know or claim to be the friend-of-a-friend. The caller will usually claim your “mutual friend” is in trouble and needs money. For instance, they may say your friend has been arrested and needs money for bail. Again, they will want you to send this money to them (not your real friend) in the form of wire transfers or gift cards.

Red Flags:

• The caller claims to be a government official.
  Official government agencies will not call or email you. You will receive official paperwork.

• The caller demands immediate payment.
  Government agencies will never require immediate payments like gift cards or wire transfers.

• The caller demands wire transfers or gift cards.
  These methods of payment are entirely untraceable.

Key Takeaway

Being caught in a scam can make you feel scared or uneasy. Scammers will try to push you to decide without all the information or demand that you part with personal information or money. Remember, it’s important not to react in the moment. Step back from the situation, take a deep breath, and see if there are any red flags present. If there are, don’t worry. You haven’t done anything wrong. As with any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, report your experience to your advisor. They can help you and alert other students to the scam.

In Part 3, we will discuss what you can do to protect yourself, and how to react if you happen to fall victim to a scam. If you’d like to review the other scams we’ve identified, click here to return to Part 1.

This blog is the final post in our three-part series about scams targeting international students who, like everyone else, can be a victim of identity theft, fraud, or another type of loss. It is the uncertainty of being in a country far from home that makes international students susceptible to these criminals. It’s important to be aware of common scams, and we’ve listed several, as well as their red flags, in Part 1 and Part 2 of our series.

Today, we’ll be looking at how students can take preventative measures to avoid scams, how schools can help protect their students, and how to help when a student falls victim to a scam.

What Students Can Do to Protect Themselves

Protecting yourself from a scam is mostly about taking preventative measures. Everyone, including international students, can easily protect themselves by taking simple precautions like not answering phone calls from unknown numbers, not answering the door if it’s someone they don’t know, and not opening or replying to phishy emails.

If students find themselves on the phone with someone they don’t know, they should never give away any personal information. A scammer may request their social security number, bank or credit card information, or other pieces of personal information. Students shouldn’t give any of it away. If they feel comfortable doing so, they can try to collect more information from them and report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and/or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Both the IC3 and the FTC work to catch scammers and help return lost money to victims.

Finally, international students should understand their rights. Everyone in America, even non-citizens, have rights under the U.S. Constitution. If someone claiming to be a government official or census worker shows up at their door, they are not required to answer or let them in unless they have a signed warrant. If students are unsure about how to react to someone knocking at their door, they can print the ILRC Red Card for quick reference.

What Schools Can Do to Protect Students

Schools can make a big difference by helping students understand scams, red flags, and how to protect themselves. Begin at orientation and continue educating international students throughout the year with materials like handouts, e-newsletters, social media posts, group chats, videos (like this one from UC Davis).

Colleges and universities should consider creating a dedicated webpage warning about scams that international students can easily bookmark and reference. Be sure to include common scams, highlighting scams that have occurred on-campus recently, and list red flags and suggested action items.

Make sure students know they can talk to you about anything, even (and especially) if they have feelings of fear, anxiety or shame. Stressing the normalcy of scams can help to break the stigma.

What to Do if a Student Falls Victim

Millions of people are caught up in a scam every year. If a student, international or otherwise, reports a scam, remember that they may feel scared, frustrated, or ashamed. Before you take any action, take time to comfort the student and let them know there are steps they can take to remedy the situation.

First, make sure the student ends all contact with the scammer. If they need help, assist them with blocking the scammer’s number on their phone and deleting and blocking emails from the scammer. Also, make sure the student has stopped sending money.

Next, it’s time to reach out for help. If the student gave away bank or credit card information, help them contact the fraud or complaint center for their institution. Banks and credit card companies already have processes in place to change account numbers, replace compromised cards, and possibly help them get their money back. If the student is a victim of identity fraud, be sure to help them recover by following steps on the FTC’s website and filing a report with the local police department.

And of course, be sure to share scam information with campus police, resident life staff, the Dean of Students, and your city police department—especially if a student lost money. If the student hasn’t already reported their scam, be sure to help them file a report with IC3 and/or the FTC.

Key Takeaway

There are a lot of ways students can protect themselves from falling victim to a scam, and schools can both educate students and help them recover if they fall victim. Unfortunately, scams are increasingly common. The good news is, our banks and credit card companies, as well as our government agencies, are prepared to help fight back and lessen the loss. Last year alone, the IC3 recovered 71% of reported losses, amounting to more than $538 million, and the FTC is stepping up its efforts to protect the public.

Scams are an unfortunate part of life today, but international students and their schools can work together to limit their effects through preventative caution and shared awareness.