Scammers have recently taken aim at Temple University, with parents of students receiving frightening calls from individuals posing as Temple Police officers. The scam involves the imposter demanding money, typically through payment apps like Apple Pay or Cash App, claiming it would secure the release of their supposedly arrested child. According to 6abc, Temple University has promptly warned the community that their police officers would never reach out to parents to request money.
Early Saturday morning, two parents were contacted by someone claiming to be with Temple Police, stating that their sons had been arrested. Fortunately, both parents recognized the scam and didn't send any money. Subsequently, they confirmed their sons were safe. "Both parents knew this to be a scam, did not send any money, and confirmed the well-being of their sons," Temple University stated, as reported by the PhillyVoice. This isn't the first scam of this nature; similar incidents have targeted various populations, including grandparents, international students, and student-athletes, as told to the Inquirer by Temple Police Chief Jennifer Griffin.
The university has taken steps to inform students and their families of these fraudulent calls, urging anyone who receives such scam calls to hang up immediately and report the incident to the local police department. Temple University Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit is currently investigating the recent scam attempts. Individuals are advised to file a report by calling the Temple University Police Department at 215-204-1234 and to stay informed on available safety resources at safety.temple.edu.
While the specifics of who the scammers are targeting remain under investigation, there's a growing concern that certain groups may be more at risk. Temple Police noted that the scammers appear to even more selectively target students who are involved in sports. Despite this pattern, the Temple community is reminded by the Department of Public Safety that their officers and detectives will never call to request money for a student's release. Temple University is taking this matter seriously and has been proactive in providing information to ensure the community remains vigilant against such deceptive practices.
