South Carolina State University is urging its students to be wary of any financial solicitations or job offers arriving by email.
Scammers are actively targeting students at S.C. State and other universities with check-cashing and gift card schemes.
Scammers are known to sometimes mask their identities by posing as S.C. State (or other university) faculty or staff members and mimicking scsu.edu email addresses.
The perpetrators hope to lure students into depositing fake checks into their personal accounts. The victims would then send large amounts of money back to the scammers through Western Union or Visa gift cards.
These illegal activities place students in serious financial hardship and could bring criminal consequences.
S.C. State urges students to take the following precautions:
• If you suspect that you have been the victim of a scam, contact campus police at 803-536-7188.
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• Report any suspicious email or text to the University Computing and Information Technology Services office at [email protected] or 803-536-8370.
• Verify any communications regarding financial matters or employment opportunities by contacting the appropriate departments, such as Financial Aid at 803-536-8396 or the Career Center at 803-536-7033.
• If anyone asks you to deposit checks, cash checks, wire money or purchase gift cards, do not participate and immediately report the situation to Campus Police at 803-536-7188.
• Do not agree to meet anyone regarding financial matters solicited through email, text or other electronic communications.
• Do not use scsu.edu email accounts for personal business. Use the campus email system solely for university-related communications.
• All job postings are communicated through the S.C. State Career Center.
• Work study opportunities are coordinated by the Office of Financial Aid.
• Avoid clicking links in unverified emails.
• No one at S.C. State will ask you to deposit checks or make wire transfers.
