An individual reported receiving two part-time job offers from people purporting to be Korn Ferry and Kelly Services employees via WhatsApp. After expressing his interest, the man was contacted by the “trainer,” who explained how to complete the tasks. After completing a job, small amounts of cryptocurrency were deposited into his coin base. Eventually, the […]

A U of I student used Facebook Marketplace to sell clothing for $230 and was contacted by an interested buyer. The buyer sent $230 via Zelle, but the student never received the money. The buyer then asked the student to send $300 via Zelle because they overpaid, and the student complied. The buyer then requested […]

A U. of I. student reported responding to a post she saw about an apartment lease in the “UIUC Housing Sublet & Roommates” Facebook group. After filling out the rental application and lease agreement, she was asked to send a deposit of $800 via Zelle. The initial transaction failed, so she sent $400 to two […]

A man reported receiving an email from someone purporting to be a representative of ORIC Pharmaceutical Company. After responding to the email, he was directed to contact a second individual via Microsoft Teams, and he was informed he would receive a $1,250 check via email. The scammer told the man to deposit the check into […]

A man reported receiving an email from what appeared to be U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stating he failed to report a change of address and threatened him with arrest, deportation and fines. After contacting the “USCIS Helpline,” the individual provided the scammer with two forms of identification and received repeated phone calls from […]

At the beginning of the year, a University of Illinois student sought a summer sublet in New York and received a message from someone on Reddit claiming to have an available apartment. After switching to text messages, the scammer emailed a sublet agreement, and the student paid a $1,200 deposit through CashApp. Upon arriving in […]

A U. of I. student reported receiving an email advertising a job opportunity as an administrative assistant. After exchanging texts with the scammer, the student received two checks for $500 and deposited them into her account. The scammer then requested proof of the deposit and directed the student to send $1,000 via Apple Pay to […]

A U. of I. student reported attempting to buy a $600 iPhone 15 Pro Max he found on Facebook Marketplace. He contacted the seller and agreed to send the money through PayPal. The seller provided a tracking number that did not work, and the iPhone never arrived. The student could no longer make contact with […]

A University of Illinois student reported being contacted by someone claiming to be from ITALK-BB phone company, who said her information was used to open a phone line in China involved in a scam. She was then connected to supposed Chinese authorities, who accused her of involvement in a scam that defrauded people out of […]

A woman reported receiving a message from an unknown person on Instagram asking her to be a muse for an art project. After agreeing, she received a text message from the scammer telling her she would receive $2,500 but requested $500 for supplies. When she refused, the scammer emailed her a $400 check and asked […]