Fake job ad
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 an "orphanage" for urgently needed supplies. The student complied but grew suspicious and contacted Chase Bank, which informed her the checks were fake. The student ended communication with the scammer and contacted police.
Facebook Marketplace fraud
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 the seller and contacted police.
Area deemed safe after Illini-Alert
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — An off-campus emergency which prompted an Illini-Alert notification to students, faculty and staff Friday morning has been resolved. At 5:54 a.m. Friday, a 911 caller reported an individual was acting erratically, unclothed, and possibly in need of medical attention near the area of Second and Green streets, Champaign. Police and medical responders were dispatched. The first arriving officer was on scene within a minute of being dispatched and observed that the individual was holding a knife. Officers contained the individual to a small area and began speaking with her for an extended period of time to de-escalate [...]
Fake police investigation
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 seven million yen (about one million U.S. dollars) and resulted in a death. They claimed an arrest warrant was issued, showed her a photo of herself and knew her Chinese ID or passport number. During the video "interrogation," the student gave the scammers most of [...]
False threats
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 her to send it back. After depositing the check, she received a threatening text from another number with a photo of an injured person, demanding repayment via Zelle. The woman complied but discontinued communication with the scammer and contacted police.