New in the city series #1 : Don't answer.

Being alone in a new country is not easy, you need to get used to the weather, the food, the culture, and the people. With that being said, it was my third week in Canada when this happened.

It was already a bad day.

I wasn’t able to sleep that much the night before, I woke up late, didn’t have time to do break fast, and had to go right away to class. And there I was, thinking what I was going to cook once the lecture was over when a call comes in. I wasn’t going to respond; I didn’t know the number.

And just when I was about to totally ignore it a pre-recorded message starts. It was terrifying, they were telling me that if I don’t respond to the call my migratory status will be in jeopardy. That’s one of the most terrifying things you can say to a foreigner. I can still remember how scared I felt at the moment.

I respond the call and talk to them.

At that moment I didn’t knew what I know now, and I was too sleepy and scare to even think properly. And I still remember how worried I felt because I thought it was an actual officer in the other side of the line. Without showering I went out of my house and start to walk to the nearest ATM machine. I thought I was wasting his time because I couldn’t do what they needed me to do.

At some point the ask me to go to a bank, and take out all my money, it didn’t work. My card wouldn’t let me do withdrawals. I was really mortified, If I couldn’t then how I was going to proof it was me.

You know what was the worst part? I dragged my roommates into this. Yeap, I did it.

I was so scared and didn’t know what to do that I ask for my roommates help. One of them had a car, so I ask her to please take me to a bank. After going to a few banks and not be able to withdraw money, they ask me to buy gift cards in a specific place.

One of them came with me all the way because she saw that I was really nervous an when she saw the gift cards in my hand. It was at that moment that she knew… I was been scam. She tried to talk me out of the situation, but I was super scare to get into trouble. At the end, I did what she told me and close the call.

I’m really thankful that in that moment I wasn’t alone at the house. Things would have gone so wrong for my pocket it they weren’t there at the moment. Like I said before, it was a bad day. I missed my class, my doctor’s appointment, and tears. Yes, I cried out of stress.

At the end of the day, I was in some place that I didn’t knew trying to find the way back home with one of my roommates.

This is the end of the story, and some of you might think “She’s just dumb, that was obviously a scam”

Well, let me tell you that not everybody is used to get scam through a phone call. When you are not in your land, and you don’t know all the rules of the game you are prone to believe people easier.

So, if you are an international student, immigrant or just new to the country, never ever ever respond to a phone call of a number you don’t know.