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International Financial Scams
Every day, the Bureau of Consular Affairs receives reports of U.S. citizens of all ages and backgrounds taken in by international scams. Scam artists take many shapes, and may work with their victims over time by pretending to be someone they are not. In some cases, they may eventually attempt to lure a person into sending money or unknowingly committing crimes, such as smuggling drugs into other countries.
Scams evolve constantly, and we cannot even start to try and describe all the shapes they can have. We do hope, however, that these examples and resources will help alert you to the indicators of some common scams and actions you should take to protect yourself and your family and friends:
Drug Trafficking Scams:
- The scammer makes contact by phone or email and offers a job overseas, the opportunity to do charity work, or asks the person to transport documents/items for them. These scams often also begin as a romantic relationship.
- Typically, the scammer offers to pay all travel expenses and asks the person to stop in a third country to pick up something and/or to get free luggage. The item(s) will contain drugs, and the victim may face arrest at the destination.
- If someone asks you to transport anything overseas, be cautious and report it to airline and border authorities before you travel.
Romance Scams:
- Be wary of people you meet online who quickly offer friendship, romance, and/or marriage.
- Be skeptical if the person asks you for money to pay hospital bills, visa fees, or legal expenses and/or seems to have a lot of sudden problems overseas.
Grandparent Scams:
- A person calls grandparents or other relatives, pretending to be a grandchild, niece, nephew, or other family member and needs money right away. The scammer usually asks you to keep it a secret.
- You should immediately reach out to the individual directly or their parents and other relatives to verify the information you receive.
Lottery Scams:
- The perpetrator promises you a lot of prize money, but you have to pay taxes and other processing fees up-front because of winning a foreign lottery.
- If you did not purchase a lottery ticket in this foreign country, it is highly unlikely that you can win a prize.
Scams evolve constantly, and we cannot even start to try and describe all the shapes they can have. We do hope, however, that these examples and resources will help alert you to the indicators of some common scams and actions you should take to protect yourself and your family and friends:
- Drug Trafficking Scams:
- The scammer makes contact by phone or email and offers a job overseas, the opportunity to do charity work, or asks the person to transport documents/items for them. These scams often also begin as a romantic relationship.
- Typically, the scammer offers to pay all travel expenses and asks the person to stop in a third country to pick up something and/or to get free luggage. The item(s) will contain drugs, and the victim may face arrest at the destination.
- If someone asks you to transport anything overseas, be cautious and report it to airline and border authorities before you travel.
- Romance Scams:
- Be wary of people you meet online who quickly offer friendship, romance, and/or marriage.
- Be skeptical if the person asks you for money to pay hospital bills, visa fees, or legal expenses and/or seems to have a lot of sudden problems overseas.
- Grandparent Scams:
- A person calls grandparents or other relatives, pretending to be a grandchild, niece, nephew, or other family member and needs money right away. The scammer usually asks you to keep it a secret.
- You should immediately reach out to the individual directly or their parents and other relatives to verify the information you receive.
- Lottery Scams:
- The perpetrator promises you a lot of prize money, but you have to pay taxes and other processing fees up-front because of winning a foreign lottery.
- If you did not purchase a lottery ticket in this foreign country, it is highly unlikely that you can win a prize.
Scams evolve constantly, and we cannot even start to try and describe all the shapes they can have. We do hope, however, that these examples and resources will help alert you to the indicators of some common scams and actions you should take to protect yourself and your family and friends:
- Drug Trafficking Scams:
- The scammer makes contact by phone or email and offers a job overseas, the opportunity to do charity work, or asks the person to transport documents/items for them. These scams often also begin as a romantic relationship.
- Typically, the scammer offers to pay all travel expenses and asks the person to stop in a third country to pick up something and/or to get free luggage. The item(s) will contain drugs, and the victim may face arrest at the destination.
- If someone asks you to transport anything overseas, be cautious and report it to airline and border authorities before you travel.
- Romance Scams:
- Be wary of people you meet online who quickly offer friendship, romance, and/or marriage.
- Be skeptical if the person asks you for money to pay hospital bills, visa fees, or legal expenses and/or seems to have a lot of sudden problems overseas.
- Grandparent Scams:
- A person calls grandparents or other relatives, pretending to be a grandchild, niece, nephew, or other family member and needs money right away. The scammer usually asks you to keep it a secret.
- You should immediately reach out to the individual directly or their parents and other relatives to verify the information you receive.
- Lottery Scams:
- The perpetrator promises you a lot of prize money, but you have to pay taxes and other processing fees up-front because of winning a foreign lottery.
- If you did not purchase a lottery ticket in this foreign country, it is highly unlikely that you can win a prize.
Here are some tips to help you recognize scams, to protect yourself--and your money:
- Generally, never send money to someone overseas if you have not met in person – especially those you have met only through the Internet.
- You should not disclose personal details over the phone or online -- even in your profile on social networking sites.
- Refer anyone claiming to be a U.S. citizen who claims to be in distress overseas to his or her nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
- If a purported U.S. citizen overseas claims to be in trouble and is unable to receive assistance from the U.S. embassy or consulate, feel free to contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747. We can offer tips for verifying if the situation is legitimate or a scam.
- If you insist on sending money to someone who claims to be a U.S. citizen, consider sending money via the Department of State’s OCS Trust , which requires the recipient to show a photo ID to collect the money. If you believe you are a victim of an Internet scam, you can report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
- Report scams related to seniors to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Aging Fraud Hotline 1-855-303-9470 and read Fighting Fraud: U.S. Senate Aging Committee Identifies Top 10 Scams Targeting Our Nation’s Seniors.
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Traveler's Tip
Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime: Do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Do not leave unattended luggage in public areas or accept packages from strangers.