Penn warns families of student-athletes to beware of scam calls

The Division of Public Safety has alerted student-athletes and their families of an ongoing telephone scam targeting the families of student-athletes at Penn and other universities.

The scam involves a male caller impersonating a law enforcement officer and telling a family member that their student-athlete has been arrested for public intoxication or causing property damage. The caller then requests that the family post bail or send monetary compensation for property damage through Venmo, CashApp, or other similar platforms in exchange for the student-athlete’s release or charges dropped. The caller ID displayed is often the real emergency number of the University’s Department of Public Safety.

At the time of publication, it is unknown who was behind the calls, how family members’ phone numbers were collected or why the families of student-athletes were specifically targeted.

An email from Division of Public Safety Vice President Kathleen Shields Anderson, obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, explains to student-athletes and their families that “no member of Penn Public Safety will contact you to request bail or money for damages. ”

As we recall, there were several scams across campus impersonating Penn officials.

This past semester, many Penn students received the award satirical email impersonating the University Board of Overseers who claimed that former Penn President Liz Magill would return as president.

A significant number of first-year students received them emails impersonating professors and graduates, asking them to participate in research and job opportunities in 2021.

In her email to student-athletes and their families, Anderson encouraged students and families to “inform all relatives and family members of this scam.” ” and call the Penn Department of Public Safety at 215-573-3333.