U of U ALERT: Be aware of law enforcement spoofing scam

[August 21, 2023 | 3:39 pm]

University Public Safety have been made aware of several fraudulent phone calls attempting to gain student and parents’ financial data over the past weekend.

U students and parents reported multiple phone calls starting August 19 from a spoofed line that appeared to be the university’s Police Dispatch phone number, 801-585-2677. The caller identifies themselves as a University of Utah police officer and then states there is an arrest warrant out in the student’s name, or their student has been arrested and will be booked in jail unless they quickly pay their bond/fines. These are fraudulent calls.

No police department, including University of Utah Police, will ever solicit or demand money for a warrant, arrest, bond, or other issue. If you receive a phone call, please hang up, and call dispatch at 801-585-2677 to report the incident. Do not provide information or payment to anyone over the phone or via email. Any similar phone calls demanding immediate payment (example: unpaid tuition or fees, student visa issues, or other emergencies) should also be treated as scams. Please report any such interactions immediately.