International students (IntlS) in the US refer to foreign students who acquire student visas to study in the US, primarily in higher education. As IntlS arrive in the US, they face several challenges, such as adjusting to a new country and culture, securing housing remotely, and arranging finances for tuition and personal expenses. These experiences, coupled with recent events such as visa revocations and the cessation of new visas, compound IntlS' risk of being targeted by and falling victim to online scams. While prior work has investigated IntlS' security and privacy, as well as general end users' reactions to online scams, research on how IntlS are uniquely impacted by scams remains largely absent. To address this gap, we conduct a two-phase user study comprising surveys (n=48) and semi-structured interviews (n=9). We investigate IntlS' exposure and interactions with scams, post-exposure actions such as reporting, and their perceptions of the usefulness of existing prevention resources and the barriers to following prevention advice. We find that IntlS are often targeted by scams (e.g., attackers impersonating government officials) and fear legal implications or deportation, which directly impacts their interactions with scams (e.g., they may prolong engagement with a scammer due to a sense of urgency). Interestingly, we also find that IntlS may lack awareness of - or access to - reliable resources that inform them about scams or guide them in reporting incidents to authorities. In fact, they may also face unique barriers in enacting scam prevention advice, such as avoiding reporting financial losses, since IntlS are required to demonstrate financial ability to stay in the US. The findings produced by our study help synthesize guidelines for stakeholders to better aid IntlS in reacting to scams.

翻译：在美国的国际学生（IntlS）指持学生签证赴美求学的外国学生，主要就读于高等教育机构。国际学生抵美后需应对多重挑战，包括适应新的国家与文化、远程解决住宿问题、筹措学费及个人生活开支等。这些经历，叠加近期签证吊销及新签证停发等事件，加剧了国际学生遭受网络诈骗的风险。尽管已有研究关注国际学生的安全与隐私问题，以及普通终端用户对网络诈骗的反应，但针对国际学生这一群体受诈骗影响的特殊性研究仍较为缺乏。为填补这一空白，我们开展了一项包含问卷调查（n=48）与半结构化访谈（n=9）的两阶段用户研究。我们调查了国际学生接触诈骗的途径与互动模式、遭遇诈骗后的应对行为（如举报），以及他们对现有预防资源的效用认知与实施预防建议面临的障碍。研究发现，国际学生常成为特定诈骗手段（如攻击者冒充政府官员）的目标，且对法律后果或遣返的恐惧直接影响其与诈骗者的互动模式（例如因紧迫感而延长与诈骗者的周旋时间）。值得注意的是，研究还发现国际学生可能缺乏对可靠反诈资源的认知或获取渠道，这些资源本应提供诈骗预警或指导其向权威机构举报。事实上，他们在实施诈骗预防建议时也可能面临特殊障碍，例如因需证明在美居留的经济能力而回避申报财务损失。本研究的结果有助于为相关方制定指导方针，以更好地协助国际学生应对诈骗威胁。