On April 8, 2025, the prominent Brooklyn Association received a disturbing request for help. A junior Chinese international student studying in New York received a fax letter supposedly from Susan Dunbar, the Acting Deputy Director of Enforcement and Administration at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), demanding submission of bank statements totaling up to $300,000 and a copy of their passport. It threatened to terminate the student’s I-20 student status if the requested documents were not provided. Upon verification, it was confirmed to be a fraudulent fax, likely a prank or scam.
Ling Fei stated that a friend contacted him through WeChat, claiming that their friend’s child studying in New York had recently received a fax with harsh language, alleging financial disclosure discrepancies and illegal employment issues for non-citizen students as discovered in a U.S. audit, demanding $300,000 as proof of funds for review, or else the student’s status would be revoked.
Ling Fei initially deemed the letter suspicious. He pointed out, “Upon first glance, the content seemed off, not resembling official correspondence, and the signature was in printed font, clearly not handwritten.” He promptly reached out to the office of Congressman Dan Goldman from New York’s 10th District, who indicated the letter appeared “very fake” and noted that official government notifications should include a personal case number and complete office contact information, adding that U.S. government agencies do not primarily use faxes for communication.
“Their initial reactions were about the incorrect format, and secondly, they advised contacting the school’s international student affairs office immediately to inquire about the validity of the I-20 status cancellation.” Ling Fei said. After confirmation with the school, the student’s I-20 status was confirmed to be unaffected, clarifying the false alarm.
Ling Fei added that the letter raised further suspicions as the letterhead bore the logo of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but the footer and contact address belonged to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which are entirely different departments.
Regarding whether this incident was a scam, Ling Fei noted that there were no explicit demands for money transfers at present, but did not rule out the possibility of future directives to fraudulently obtain money, stating, “It could also be merely a prank, targeting Chinese international students to create panic.” Regardless of the motive, such events in the current sensitive study abroad atmosphere undoubtedly exacerbate students’ anxieties.
“In the past, no one would have taken such a letter seriously, but now it’s different, the general environment has led everyone to adopt a ‘better safe than sorry’ mindset.” Ling Fei lamented. He urged all Chinese students in the U.S. that if they receive suspicious messages, they must first calmly verify the information, confirm the authenticity through their school or official channels, and refrain from easily believing or disclosing personal information or money.