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The International Student's Guide
to Studying and Living in the USA

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Safety and Security

Most people you meet in the United States will be friendly and helpful. However, there is still a moderate amount of crime against person and crime against property, some of it directed specifically at foreigners. A few simple precautions will help safeguard you from crime.

Emergency Telephone Numbers

In most communities in the United States, but not all, dialing 911 on any phone will connect you to emergency services such as ambulance, fire, and police. You do not need to put money in a pay phone to dial 911. In cities that do not provide 9-1-1 service, there may be a specific local telephone number. Likewise, your college or university will have an on-campus emergency service with its own telephone number. You should memorize these telephone numbers.

Another way to get emergency help is to dial 0, which reaches a telephone operator. Tell the operator that you have an emergency and the street address and city where help is needed. The operator will connect you to the appropriate emergency service.

You can find a listing of local emergency numbers on the first page of the local telephone directory. You should compile a list of the local emergency numbers, including poison control and the local hospital emergency room.

Call the emergency telephone numbers if you need help immediately in a life-threatening situation. For example, you should dial 911 if a crime is in progress, someone is badly injured or ill, there's a fire, or you fear for your life.

For non-emergencies you should call the non-emergency telephone number for the local police station or campus police. For example, if a car is blocking your driveway, someone broke into your apartment but is no longer there, or to report vandalism.

Safety Precautions

Violent crime in the United States has been decreasing in recent years, and you are more likely to be a victim of a crime against property than a crime against person. College campuses tend to be very safe, even when located in urban areas. Nevertheless, cities in the United States are not as safe as those in Europe and Japan. Ask the foreign student advisor at the school which neighborhoods are safe and which should be avoided.

The following common sense rules will help prevent you from becoming the victim of a crime.

A pickpocket can work in many surroundings, especially at the airport, bus station, or other places with large crowds. They might bump into you or spill something on you to distract you while an accomplice steals your bag. They might use a knife to cut open the bottom of your backpack or bag and steal the contents without your knowledge.

Don't give money to panhandlers. There are public agencies and charities that provide food, shelter, and job assistance to the poor. A panhandler will probably spend the money on alcohol and illegal drugs. Most likely their appearance and story is a carefully contrived lie. Panhandlers often collect several hundred dollars a day from gullible students.

The following are a few precautions to help protect you from pickpockets and thieves:

Legal Aid

If you are arrested in the US for a serious crime, say nothing until you have spoken to an attorney. You have the right to remain silent. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you by the court free of charge. You will be given the opportunity to make one telephone call. You should use this telephone call to call your embassy or consulate.

The American legal system differs significantly from legal systems in other countries. The accused is considered innocent until proven guilty by the state beyond a reasonable doubt. The accused is also entitled to a trial by jury for serious offenses, such as murder, rape, burglary, and drug trafficking. Attorney-client communications are privileged, meaning that your attorney cannot be called to testify against you and that your conversations with your attorney are private. These rights are guaranteed by the US Constitution. If you are not already familiar with the US legal system, your attorney can explain it to you.

If you plead guilty to a serious crime, or are convicted of a serious crime, you will be subject to deportation.

Scams

If a person you don't know greets you on the street, ignore them. Do not say anything or make eye contact. Just continue walking. They will almost certainly be a con artist, panhandler, or other hustler. If they persist, call the police.

Many international students become victims of scams because of their generosity and their unfamiliarity with the US. Coming from countries with lower crime rates, they assume that all people are honest. They are alone and no longer in close contact with family and friends, so they don't have anybody to ask for advice. They are often desperate to make new friends. They find it difficult to say no and break off a conversation because they are very polite and eager to please. They may have very limited financial resources, and so be interested in bargains and ways to earn additional money. They may have heard the United States described as the land of opportunity, and hope to get lucky and strike it rich. They may be a little naive and not have enough experience to distinguish legitimate offers from frauds. All of these characteristics make them more likely to become the victim of a scam.

Con artists can be of any age, sex, or race, and may even look respectible. Sometimes they work alone, and sometimes they work in pairs. Often they will present you with a sob story, such as needing money for a taxi to the hospital to visit a relative or to buy food for their children. Sometimes they will show you a roll of money and ask for your help in returning it. For example, they might say that the automatic teller machine (ATM) disbursed too much money. The story might sound innocuous, but at some point they will try to get you to give them money or something of value. Sometimes they'll just go for the money you have on your person. Other times they ask you to withdraw a larger sum of money from your bank account. Once you give them the money, you'll never hear from them again (except perhaps to bilk you out of even more money).

A good scam often involves some of the following characteristics:

It is in the nature of the lie that it is very close to the truth. That's what makes it so convincing and so easy to believe the scam. For example, scholarship scams work because there are legitimate organizations that give away money for college. The difference is the scams ask you to pay money to get money, and the real scholarship sponsors don't. It helps to be cautious and a little paranoid. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Some of the more common scams include:

The following are a few precautions to help protect you from scams:

If you sign a contract in your home, you have a right to cancel the contract within three days. So if you do have second thoughts or buyer's remorse and the outfit is legitimate, you can cancel the contract within the cooling off period. But if the outfit isn't legitimate, your money will be long gone.

If you are the victim of a scam, report it to the police. If the scam was more than just a street hustle, you can also report it to the National Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060 or http://www.fraud.org/. They pass the information they receive on to the Federal Trade Commission and state consumer protection offices. The FTC and states Attorney General are only like to take action when there is a pattern of fraudulent activity.

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Last modified: February 03, 1999 08:49:21 EST