As part of the Harvard community, your wellbeing and safely are very important to us. While the Boston and Cambridge area is a relatively safe place, it is best for you to use caution when dealing with both physical safety and other safety issue such as identity theft. We hope that this section of the web provides information and resources to help you and to protect yourself. Please protect your personal information by not responding to unsolicited phone calls and emails. We have heard of a number of scams (a dishonest way of soliciting money by deceiving people) targeting non-immigrants lately, including calls from individuals claiming to be immigration and tax officials requesting personal information such as social security numbers and credit card information. Government officials do not call or email requesting such personal information.  If you receive a call or email like this, please contact us.

Avoiding Scams and Fraud Schemes
Individuals sometimes fall prey to scams and fraud schemes. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provides a very useful web resource that reviews some of the most common scams and how to avoid them. Please note that U.S. government agencies, and most private entities, will never request sensitive personal information such as a Social Security Number.

Legal Assistance
Many communities have free or low cost legal “clinics” that can assist with non-criminal disputes, such as tenant landlord disputes and other similar issues. Below are two such organizations.

• Harvard Legal Clinics

• Cambridge Legal Services

Identity Theft
Protecting your identity from theft is extremely important. Below are some resources of tips and prevention of identity theft.

• Tips on Identity Theft Protection

• Identity Theft and Identity Fraud - US Justice Department

• Identity Fraud and Misuse of Social Security Numbers

Lost Passport
If you lose your passport please go here to find information on passport replacement.

Emergency Management when Traveling Abroad
International SOS provides medical, mental health, and security advice and referrals and emergency evacuation services to eligible Harvard travelers abroad. To ensure access to these services, it is crucial that all international travel be registered in the International SOS MyTrips platform before you travel abroad. You can also review country guides, sign up for alerts, and download the International SOS Assistance App before you leave.