Scammers use intimidation

  Thursday, April 7, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

The crooks are at it again and their weapon of choice is the telephone.

Mike McCracken, director of university police at Pittsburg State University, warned of a phone scam currently targeting students and the campus community in which individuals are contacted and told to pay money or provide personal information in order to prevent being arrested or expelled from school.

The scammers, he said, frequently claim to represent law enforcement or government officials and they are often threatening and intimidating. The suspects tell the victim they have an existing warrant for their arrest or owe money and threaten to arrest them if they do not pay the fine. They will then request payment through a wire transfer, by having the victim provide credit or debit card information or by having the victim purchase a prepaid debit card and provide the number of the card over the phone.

“Phone scammers are criminals who use fear and intimidation to get what they want,” McCracken said. “The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to know the facts. No law enforcement or government official will ever ask you to provide money or personal information over the phone.”

McCracken suggested taking the following actions if you believe you are being scammed. First, request the official’s name and badge number, and then ask to call the official immediately back at the agency’s published phone numbers. If you still believe the call to be authentic, contact local law enforcement before sending any money or providing any information.

Anyone who has already received a similar phone call and believes they are a victim of fraud, should contact university police or a local law enforcement agency and request to file a report.