Alert - Fraudulent Vendors on Campus
September 18, 2009 Office of Community Education and University Housing
Unauthorized vendors and solicitors have been reported on and around campus.
If you are approached by a vendor, salesperson, or solicitor on campus or in a residence hall area, DO NOT give them any money, checks, credit or debit card numbers or any personal information. Contact the University Police Department at 985-549-2222 so we can verify their identity and legitimacy.
In the past, these have included:
- Persons distributing credit card applications;
- Persons posing as photographers or recruiters for magazines or modeling agencies;
- Magazine subscriptions salespersons;
- Persons offering to sell "self-defense" sprays or stun-guns;
- Persons soliciting money for bogus coalitions, organizations, or churches.
Some of these solicitors use very aggressive sales tactics, make suggestive remarks that you'll get some special prize for filling out an application, have dramatic stories designed to making you feel guilty for not cooperating with them, or have even offered free t-shirts to students signing up for on-line marketing lists.
The majority of these persons have been found to be fraudulent and/or working for fraudulent companies. These frauds and scam-artists tend to target college students and try to win your trust with false promises and double-speak. The personal information they obtain may be used to commit identity theft or register you for mailing lists which are then sold to junk-mail clearing houses. Once you have given them your money or information, it is almost impossible to get it back.
We do our best to keep frauds and scam-artists out of our community, but we need your help. Any vendor authorized to do business on campus must be authorized to do so through official channels. Short-term vendors, such as temporary sales booths in the Student Union, must be approved through the Assistant Vice-President for Student Affairs. These processes are in place to verify the legitimacy of vendors and persons who claim to be business professionals and to protect our students.
As stated above, if you are approached by anyone who is trying to sell you anything or asks you to complete an application or register for a mailing list, please verify that they are legitimate and approved to be on campus. During business hours, you can do so by contacting the Assistant Vice-President for Student Affairs at 985-549-3792, or at any time you can contact the University Police Department at 985-549-2222.
Let’s work together to keep our community safe!