BUPD Offers Tips for Protecting Yourself from Scams
Fraudsters posing as Chinese police or officials prompt warnings
Boston University Police offer advice for guarding against phone and online scammers. Photo via iStock/Supatman
BUPD Offers Tips for Protecting Yourself from Scams
Fraudsters posing as Chinese police or officials prompt warnings
Boston University students handed over $624,300 to scammers between January 1 and September 18 of this year, with 90 percent of that total involving just four cases in which impostors posed as Chinese police or officials, the Boston University Police Department (BUPD) reports.
The 29 reported larceny scams in total took “many forms and occurred through various channels, including phone, text, email, WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Reddit, and job boards,” says Ryan Menzel, research analyst for safety, security, and preparedness. “Job/employment scams were the most reported among BU students, with 19 incidents.” The four Chinese-related cases were the second most frequent.
The BUPD’s news comes after Boston and Massachusetts State Police issued separate warnings about phony apartment rentals and fake reports of identity theft.
The state police warnings say they received about 100 recent reports of a telephone fraud where an impostor claimed to be a trooper with the “Internet Crime Complaint Center.” (No such center exists.) An announcement says the caller told victims “that their identity is being used to commit crimes in China and asks them to stay on the line to speak with Shanghai Police,” adding that the scam is nationwide, with “reports from as far away as Indiana.”
The Boston Police Department warns against scammers misrepresenting themselves as landlords or leasing agents, creating ads on social media for rentals that don’t exist or have been filled already, or legitimate listings the caller has no connection with. The scammers tell victims to wire money or send gift cards or cryptocurrency to cover rental-related costs. “In many instances, this is required before victims have viewed the space,” a police announcement says. “Some scammers require victims to provide personal identifying information, exposing victims to further fraudulent activity.”
Menzel says that while those two scams haven’t targeted BU students, similar frauds have, with scammers impersonating representatives of the Federal Communications Commission, the US Postal Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
BU’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) also offers an online guidance page on maintaining immigration status and avoiding scams. There are a variety of those, the ISSO page says: “Scammers commonly use intimidation and the threat of immigration penalties and deportation to extort large sums of money from international students. Scammers often claim to be from a government or law enforcement agency, and sometimes use personal information gained illegally to convince a student that an immediate payment is required. Some visa fraud schemes promise expedited visa appointment scheduling, guaranteed green cards, and quick fixes to immigration problems in exchange for payment.”
International students with questions about their visas or immigration status can speak with ISSO’s Advisor-On-Call for quick questions. They can also make an appointment with their assigned ISSO advisor for more in-depth support.
The BUPD offers a guide for students to scam-proof yourself:
- If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch: Hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Do not press one to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls. Better yet, don’t answer telephone calls from people you don’t know.
- If someone tells you that you are being investigated: Speak to the local police, the Boston University Police, a parent, or a trusted friend. If a scammer threatens and pressures you to prove your innocence, hang up and do not respond.
- Never rent without visiting the actual premises: Always sign a written lease that identifies the owner before sending money to hold an apartment.
- Before you give money or personal information: Talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert, or just tell a friend.
- Spot imposters: Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company with whom you do business. Do not send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request—whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.
- Google it: Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
- Do not believe your caller ID: Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see are not always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
- Do not pay up front for a promise: Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you have won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear.
- Consider how you pay: Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods do not. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it is nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true of cards (like MoneyPak or Reloadit) and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
- Be skeptical about free trial offers: Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. In addition, always review your monthly statements for charges you do not recognize.
- Do not deposit a check and wire money back: By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you are responsible for repaying the bank.