Beware of Scams
Scam artists are increasingly targeting college students, faculty, and staff.
This past year, persons affiliated with UT Dallas have lost almost $50,000 to scam artists. The most common scams include:
Telephone Scams
No government agency, including the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will ever conduct business over the telephone. Scam artists use fraudulent numbers that appear to be from a federal agency to try to collect debt, fines, or taxes. They often try to get persons to pay with a gift card such as iTunes or Amazon. Government agencies never take gift cards. Never provide anyone with information from the back of a gift card. Money or gift card info given to these scam artists is almost impossible to recover.
Internet Scams
Never post information or photographs on social media sites that could be used later on to blackmail you. Also, protect your privacy from stalkers – don’t share too much information about your location, employment, family, or when you are out of town on vacation or home alone. Never verify personal account or password information over the phone or internet unless you know for sure with whom you are speaking.
Campus Scams
Beware of persons you don’t know who tell you they work at UT Dallas and need financial help for gas or a vehicle breakdown. Have them call UT Dallas Police, who will be happy to assist.
Employment Scams
Scam artists pose as employers hoping to victimize students who are desperate for a source of income by hiring for jobs that don’t exist. The scam artists send fraudulent checks for more than the salary and ask the employee to send the extra cash to a third party. The employee then suffers the loss. Scam artists also target students who need housing. They will list an address for a rental property, which is advertised at a low price, and tell the victim to “drive by and take a look.” In reality, the scam artist has no right to be renting the location. Victims are asked to send a deposit to hold the rental property, and the deposit is lost forever.
If you receive a call from anyone demanding money that you don’t know, contact UT Dallas Police at 972-883-2222. As a general guideline, never give out personal information, such as a Social Security Number or bank account numbers, or send money to people you don’t know.