Fake apartment sublease
An Illinois student reported that she was seeking an apartment sublease near her summer internship in Madison, Wisconsin, and sent a text message to an unknown person advertising an apartment on Craigslist. The advertiser asked the student to complete an application and send it back with a copy of her driver's license. The advertiser then asked for a security deposit of $1,100, paid via wire transfer. Since completing the transfer, the student has not been able to contact the advertiser.
All clear after police investigate suspicious package
URBANA, Illinois – Campus was deemed safe Wednesday evening after University of Illinois Police investigated a suspicious package at Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana. At about 5:43 p.m., a UIPD patrol officer was approached by an Illinois employee who reported that an unusual package was present near an entryway to the building. An explosive ordnance detection dog was on duty and dispatched to examine the package. The bomb-sniffing K9 indicated that the box contained a hazardous substance. Police evacuated the building and issued an Illini-Alert emergency notification to all students, faculty and staff after the bomb-sniffing dog indicated [...]
Hotel call
An employee of a hotel on campus reported that she received a call at the front desk from an unknown person who claimed that she had a warrant for her arrest and that she needed to pay $900 to clear her name. The employee provided personal information to the caller before recognizing the scam and contacting police.
Fake apartment sublease
On January 21, a U. of I. student answered a Facebook advertisement for an apartment sublease and paid $550 for the application fee and security deposit. When the student asked to see the apartment, the supposed property owner asked for more money. The student attempted on March 4 to transfer the money as directed to a third party using the Zelle mobile app, but the transaction was declined. At that point, the student determined it was a scam and contacted police.
Sexual extortion
A U. of I. student reported that an unknown person sent him a friend request on Instagram and initiated a private conversation, during which the unknown person encouraged the student to send intimate photos of himself. After the photo was sent, the unknown person demanded that the student use a mobile app to send $400 under threat of publicly posting the photo. The student complied. The unknown person continued sending threatening messages demanding more money. The student did not respond to the follow-up messages.