Situational awareness: Scam alert
From: Virginia Tech Police Department
The Virginia Tech Police Department has received multiple reports of fraud. Students have reported receiving an opportunity for a Research Assistant Position by email. In the reported scam, students were contacted by someone claiming to be an affiliated professor with Virginia Tech while sometimes utilizing a university-affiliated email address. Within those correspondences, it is advised that a department is offering a position for students to work remotely and be paid weekly. The student is advised to research and purchase various office supplies, in which reimbursement is promised by check. The Virginia Tech Police Department has determined that this proposal is not legitimate.
An additional scam involves the scammer sending what appears to be a legitimate text message or email pretending to be a faculty member, fellow student, staff or faculty colleague of the victim. They ask the victim to travel to a local store and purchase gift cards for what appears to be a legitimate task. The scammer then asks for the pertinent information to redeem the cards. The scammer typically continues to ask for gift cards until the victim realizes the scam and stops sending them.
These are two of several types of scams directed at students, faculty, and staff in the past years. The Virginia Tech Police Department would like to remind all community members that:
Common scams perpetrated against the Virginia Tech community and other general safety tips can be found at police.vt.edu/scam-alerts and police.vt.edu/safety-security/safety-tips/socialmediascams.
Additional information regarding this particular scam can be found here.
Scammers commonly use scare tactics and promote urgency when attempting to defraud others.
Scammers commonly use emails that may appear legitimate at first glance, but are obviously fake upon further investigation. If you are not sure who you are communicating with, find an alternative way to contact them. One good resource is the search function of vt.edu.
Compare the email address to the email signature on the bottom of the email. If the names don’t match, the email could be a scam.
You should never give out personal identifying information over the telephone, by text, or email, to anyone demanding money or financial compensation.
You should be apprehensive of situations where someone overpays you by check and then asks you to utilize an electronic payment service, app, wire money, utilize a prepaid card, or visit a bitcoin ATM for payment.
You should be suspicious if you receive an unsolicited letter or email requesting you to deposit a check and wire money back to an individual that you did not request and have not met personally.
If you ever have suspicions about a check or an unsolicited financial offer from a stranger, contact your bank or the bank who issued the check. If an unsolicited financial offer feels suspicious, it is usually a scam.
You should never provide personal information such as dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account/credit card numbers to anyone unless you are sure of who you are speaking to.
Community members should report all crimes and suspicious activity/persons anywhere on campus immediately to the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-382-4343, or by dialing 911.
Anonymous tips can be reported online at police.vt.edu/anonymous.
