VTES scam alert

From: The Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities

The Virginia Tech Electric Service (VTES) has received numerous calls indicating that the public phone number for the VTES business office, 540-231-6437, has been used for scam calls by scammers pretending to be VTES. In the reported scams, scammers are attempting to get personal information by selling a product. Please note that VTES will never call requesting payment over the phone, nor sell products of any kind. 

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.

• 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 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.

• You should never provide personal information such as dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account/credit card numbers.

• No law enforcement or other government agency in the U.S., including the IRS, will ever call you on the phone and threaten you with arrest if you do not immediately send them money, provide them with the number of a gift card, or transfer money into a bitcoin account

• Scammers commonly use scare tactics and promote urgency when attempting to defraud others

  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.