Fraudulent Phone Calls
Recently, phone scam incidents have been reported that involve calls to parents of PLU student-athletes regarding the immediate wellbeing of their student. These callers portray themselves as PLU Campus Safety officers and provide false information in an attempt to scam money from the families. Similar scams have been reported at other universities and from what has been determined so far, they appear to all be made with information readily available on the internet.
Receiving such a call, particularly in the middle of the night, can be alarming. If you should find yourself in this situation, please know that PLU will NEVER call asking for money to assist your student or otherwise keep them out of trouble. It is worth noting that Campus Safety is a resource for assisting students on campus and they are not law enforcement; however, contacting their office independently at 253-535-7441 can be a good way to verify a story or to check on your student if you have a concern. The Campus Safety office is staffed 24/7 and will do their best to address any of your concerns as quickly as they can.
As a campus team, safety and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you need additional help or guidance, there are a variety of resources on campus to assist. Please see the links below for available campus resources as well as additional information and tips regarding phone scams.
Campus resources:
- Student Care Network – https://www.plu.edu/srr/student-care-network/
- Athletics – https://golutes.com/
Government agency reference info:
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/scammers-use-fake-emergencies-steal-your-money
- https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/portland/news/fbi-warns-public-to-beware-of-scammers-impersonating-fbi-agents-and-other-government-officials
- https://www.fcc.gov/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated
- https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/elder-fraud
In the news:
- https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/legal/article/15707101/upenn-studentathletes-and-families-targeted-in-phone-scam
- https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/parents-of-6-bu-student-athletes-targeted-by-arrest-scammers-police-say/3245309/
- https://www.wrbl.com/news/georgia-news/fbi-warns-of-phone-scam-targeting-parents-families-of-georgia-college-students/
- https://nypost.com/2023/11/03/news/college-football-families-scammed-by-phone-call-saying-players-were-in-jail/
- https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/college-athletes-families-warned-of-scam-targeting-them-for-money-dcp/
- https://parents.wfu.edu/family-news/community-safety-advisory-beware-of-fraudulent-phone-calls-to-families-2/