An alleged scam disguised as a job opportunity capitalized on some MSU students looking for work with a charity organization.
MSU police have identified and made contact with a man who reportedly interviewed 10 MSU students for a job with the MSU Boys & Girls Club. During the interview, the suspect had the students fill out an application and provide their Social Security number and their MSU Personal Identification Number. In addition, the alleged scam artist had the students take a drug test, for which they were charged $20, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
The two incidents reported to police were in Holmes and Akers halls.
The report has been forwarded to the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office to issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, McGlothian-Taylor said. Prosecutors could not be reached for comment Monday.
“Most employers will send you to a lab (for a drug test),” McGlothian-Taylor said. “We just want to remind students to be careful about who they contact and give their personal information to.”
MSU Director of Residence Life Paul Goldblatt said scam artists see students living in dormitories as easy targets. He said the best way to prevent any sort of identity theft is doing research about potential employers.
“All it requires is going to a Web site and doing a little research,” he said. “A lot of these situations happen when someone makes up a flier and sees who responds to it.”
The organization the man was reported to be representing, the MSU Boys & Girls Club, does not exist. The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing has put a notice on its Web site warning visitors about the alleged scam. The director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing could not be reached for comment.
Andrea Hoffman, a premedical sophomore who lives in Campbell Hall, said the reports of the scam surprised her. However, she still feels guarded against identity theft.
“I’ve heard of e-mails trying to get your Social Security number,” Hoffman said. “People should know not to give that information to just random people.”
Police said the suspect had 10 more interviews set up with other students. McGlothian-Taylor said police encourage students to be aware of the incidents, as the man has not been arrested.
Although the Department of Residence Life has restrictions on fliers allowed to be posted, it’s hard to keep track of exactly what students find on the walls of their dorms, Goldblatt said.
“If we see things that aren’t through university things, we take those down,” he said. “Our custodial staff is very diligent about taking those down, but sometimes it’s hard to keep track of that stuff.”
Anyone who is concerned they may have been victimized in this scam or has information pertaining to the case should contact Officer Chris Rozman of MSU police at (517) 432-7940.
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