Lindenwood University community is being cautioned against the scam calls that have emerged on campus in the past week.
The university became aware of the ongoing issue last Thursday morning, Oct. 12, when an individual who had received scam calls reached out to report the situation, Assistant Vice President Julee Mitsler said in an email.
Later that morning, Lindenwood’s Director of Public Safety and Security Ryan Anderson sent out an email alerting the campus community about the scam calling concern.
“Lindenwood recently became aware of scam phone calls being made by individuals claiming to be individuals from the Lindenwood Department of Public Safety and Security,” Anderson said in an email. “These individuals are NOT affiliated with the University and are demanding immediate request for payment over the phone or through Venmo.”
Anderson emphasized that the university does not have any holding cells nor will it ever call an individual to request immediate payment over the phone.
To avoid getting scammed in the future, Anderson shared some of the common tactics that are used to pressure and deceive scammers’ targets. These include but are certainly not limited to:
- Pressuring targets to act swiftly by creating a sense of urgency
- Using emotional manipulation and gaining trust by exploiting the target’s concern for their or someone’s well-being
- Refusing and failing to provide verification of their validity and identity
Since the scam-calling issue is currently an ongoing investigation, the university is unable to disclose more information about the case. Many details are yet to be discovered and the university is actively working on finding out more.
“The Department of Public Safety and Security is also working directly with St. Charles City Police,” Mitsler said.
If an individual receives a scam call, they should report it directly to St. Charles City Police by calling (636) 949-3200
