Phone Scammers Target UT-Austin Students Demanding Money Transfers

AUSTIN, TX -- University of Texas at Austin students are being targeted by a scam by people posing as financial aid staff demanding money transfers, a news station reports.

KVUE-TV reports the scam works this way: Students get a call demanding they transfer money electronically, via handoff in person or wired to an agreed-upon location.

The scam operation is somewhat sophisticated, with an incoming phone number masqueraded to appear its origins on campus and accompanied by an email with the name of college president Greg Fenves, the station reports.

Campus police urge those getting such calls to hang up immediately and dial 911 to report it. Officials note it is not customary practice for Fenves to reach out to students demanding student fee payments in this manner.

It’s believed the scammers obtain information from the UT student directory. Students are advised to click here to learn how to restrict the level of information about them published in the directory.