By Wesley Harris
Grambling State University has alerted students and parents to a scam that has victimized numerous campuses across the country.
Campus police announced both GSU students and their parents have received phone calls from scammers claiming to be part of the GSU Police Department. “These scam calls even spoof our phone number to make it look more realistic,” police said.
According to the announcement, the scammers claim to have a loved one in custody or that an arrest warrant is being obtained unless payment is made immediately.
The scammers ask for a pre-paid credit card, gift card, digital currency, or money transfer to post bond or pay off a criminal charge.
“The Grambling State University Police Department will NOT call you to inform you about a warrant, arrest, or especially to obtain money from you for any reasons,” GSU Police said. “We do not call to fundraise, and we do not accept money by phone for any purposes.”
GSU said many of these calls have been traced to other countries. “These scammers do their best to convince you to give them your personal information and/or access to banking or credit card/pre-paid cards to obtain money from you,” police said.
Since the perpetrators are overseas, there is little local authorities can do to stop them, so phone users need to be vigilant and not fall for the scam.
Louisiana Tech Assistant Police Chief Bill Davis said such scams are occurring with increasing frequency. In June, he told the Lincoln Parish Journal the parents of several Tech student athletes received phone calls that appeared to be from authorities. The caller told parents their student had been arrested but by paying a fine before they were booked, the matter could be resolved. The scammers were able to collect money from several of the targeted parents.
“Using high pressure tactics that the matter had to be taken care of immediately, the parents did not have time to contact their students,” Davis said. He noted similar scams hit other Louisiana universities this spring as well as across the country.
Parents of athletes at Ohio State, Cal, and Miami were targeted earlier this year. One dad immediately recognized the scam because his daughter was playing in a game at the time of the call.
Agencies that combat spoofing like the Federal Communications Commission suggest not answering calls from unknown numbers but allowing them to go to voice mail. If it’s important, the caller will leave a message.
GSU said, “We frequently post on our Facebook page about this and many other common scams by phone. These include those pretending to be from Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and many other organizations. Remember these agencies WILL NOT call you asking for personal information or money from you.”
GSU Police ask that this warning be shared with family and friends. “We are aware of the numerous calls [to GSU students and parents, and] we are working hard to make sure no one becomes a victim of scammers.
