刚刚收到别人转发过来的一封email，尤其在ebay上做得比较多的朋友要看看：

Subject: Maintain Your Legal Status - VERY IMPORTANT & YOU SHOULD KNOW!

Dear Chinese Fellows,

Recently the CFA was approached by a local FBI agent
informing a criminal investigation case where an
international student at PSU is being investigated
allegedly for buying and selling merchandise (mainly
computers and accessories) on the eBay website and for
tax evasion. The student is now on the run. Updates
about this case may be provided as soon as more
information becomes available.

According to this FBI agent, a few other international
students were also identified with doing similar
tradings, though their trading amounts were relatively
smaller comparing with that of the student being
investigated. Majority of these trading activities was
illegal because

1) these activities often involve large monetary
amounts thus can be regarded as business, and doing
business is an violation of the law for international
students or scholars who are on F1 or J1 visa because
by law they can only conduct activities related to
their research subject in their academic unit or other
authorized activities.

2) taxes were often not paid on this portion of the
income, which is again illegal.

3) merchandise is often stored in the residential
premises which by law can not be used for business
purpose unless permit is issued by the government.

The FBI agent also wishes to remind us that by law
international people must report to the US custom if
the cash amount that they bring with them to the US is
more than $10,000, otherwise, the US custom has the
right to confiscate all the cash. We are aware that
the U.S. government has confiscated money from
students for not declaring it. It is not a crime to
bring in money but it is a crime not to report it.


As we all should be doing and as reiterated by the FBI
agent, the CFA urges every Chinese student at Penn
State to maintain legal status and behave accordingly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do
contact a foreign student adviser of ISS who may give
you advice on what to do. Also feel free to contact
any CFA panel member and we should be happy to pass on
your concerns or direct you to the right person!

Thanks

CFA Panel
09/13/2005