Scam Alert for the Pepperdine Community
As reported recently in the news, there are scams targeting parents of college students nationwide and even here at Pepperdine. With the intent to convince people to send money, scammers are contacting parents with fabricated stories, for example, claiming their loved one has been arrested for public intoxication, involved in a car accident, has injured someone, or worse. In some cases, the scammers may impersonate university officials or use technology such as deepfake audio that mimics the loved one’s voice to pressure parents into sending money to “resolve” the situation.
The scammers often use public social media profiles of students and information publicly available on any university website–like student-athlete rosters, fine arts program schedules, and staff names–for their nefarious purposes.
We want to alert you to this activity and encourage you to remain vigilant against scams that use emotional manipulation to coerce victims into transferring money. If you receive a call or message with these or similar tactics, do not provide any information or money. Instead, consider asking questions that would expose the caller’s lack of actual knowledge about your loved one, attempt to obtain the person’s contact information to share with others and law enforcement, and end the call. Contact your loved one directly to confirm their safety and situation.
If you believe you have been targeted by such a scam, contact your local law enforcement, warn your family members so they can avoid falling victim, and report the incident to Pepperdine’s Department of Public Safety at 310.506.4442 or dispatch@pepperdine.edu.
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