Phone Scam Nets Almost $2,000 from BU Student
BUPD warns against giving money card numbers to any callers
Extortionists impersonating US government officials on the phone scammed almost $2,000 from a BU international student and may try to rob more students, according to the Boston University Police Department.
The BUPD posted a statement on its Facebook page about the incident and is warning students to disregard such calls.
In the December 4 case, the student first received a call from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. The person threatened the student with arrest and deportation unless she paid more than $1,200 by putting that sum on a Green Dot MoneyPak reloadable debit card and then furnishing the caller with the card’s number. The student complied. One hour later, another caller claiming to be an immigration officer demanded almost $700, via the same payment method, to clear up (nonexistent) arrest warrants for the student, who again obeyed.
The calls likely originated overseas, and recovering the money will be difficult, says BUPD Detective Peter DiDomenica, who advises students to be on guard against such scams. “You’re never going to get a call from the government saying there’s a warrant for your arrest…unless you pay us a fine or back taxes” or other phony debts, he says. Massachusetts law does not permit people to be jailed solely for indebtedness, and debt collectors are forbidden to use intimidation or threats.
Green Dot MoneyPak cards have become the new tool of choice for scammers. The cards are sold at retailers such as CVS to people who don’t have a bank account; buyers credit their money to the card, not to an account. Knowing the card’s number allows thieves access to the cardholder’s money.
Scammers “used to tell victims to wire the money, but this is quicker,” DiDomenica says.
While only one BU student has reported being victimized, DiDomenica says, scammers last year phoned a bomb threat to a Commonwealth Avenue CVS and demanded payment from a Green Dot card to avert the bombing. The store ignored the threat after calling the police and learning it was a scam attempt.
The BUPD alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service to last week’s scam. Police declined to identify the student or the student’s country of residence, both to protect the victim’s confidentiality and to avoid the impression that students of that nationality alone are at risk.
“There are many variations to this fraudulent scheme,” the BUPD Facebook notice says, “including callers claiming to be from utility companies or callers claiming that a relative of the victim is in distress and needs immediate help. You should be aware that the telephone numbers used by the scammers are frequently ‘spoofed,’ meaning that the telephone call is made from the Internet…where the caller can create the number that shows up on your caller ID.” In other words, DiDomenica says, “They’re creating a phone number, so there’s nothing to trace.”
Any students who believe that they have been the victim of a similar scam are urged to immediately contact the BUPD at 617-353-2121 to arrange to file a police report.
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