MIGRANTS are being threatened with deportation by scammers pretending to be immigration department officials.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has received 300 reports about the scam since March, with more than $150,000 reported lost.
The commission's deputy chair Delia Rickard is urging people to hang up if they receive a suspicious call.
"The scammers target migrants and temporary visa holders, claiming there are problems with their immigration paperwork or visa status and they need to pay a fee to correct the problem and avoid deportation," Ms Rickard said.
"Recently, these scams have been going one step further, threatening the arrest of loved ones or claiming they have already been arrested or detained."
The callers then demand payment through wire transfers or iTunes gift cards.
"The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will never ask for wire transfers or iTunes cards as a payment option."
Ms Rickard said to make the scams appear to be more legitimate, the scammers glean personal information from social media.
"If in doubt, don't use any contact details provided by the caller, instead look up the government department or organisation yourself in the phone book or online and phone or email them," Ms Rickard said.
Immigration fraud can be reported to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection through their Immigration Dob-In Service.
Scams can be reported to the commission's Scamwatch page or by calling 1300-795-995.
