Emporia State Police and Safety has received multiple reports of a financial scam over GroupMe, a group communication app long used by students, faculty and staff. ESU Police Chief Jerry Cook warned of the scam in a Wednesday email announcement to campus.
Cook is calling on students to report scams they come across to ESU Police and Safety immediately and for administrators of ESU GroupMe groups to be vigilant of the accounts they add to group chats.
What you should know
The scam usually begins with an unknown individual contacting an ESU student through GroupMe and saying “hello.” When the student responds, the individual claims to be another student in an art class. The individual asks to use the student’s photos for a project and offers to pay them money. They then ask the student for their full name, email and phone number to give to “the client” who the individual claims is funding their art project, according to police.
The individual then texts the student with steps on how to receive payment for the photos and asks if they have a Cash App. The individual tells the student to take $300 out of the check amount and send them the additional money. They claim this is so they can buy art supplies for the project.
Cook says that the individual becomes more aggressive and demanding in their texts when students respond unsure about the request. When students cooperate, the individual offers reassurance that the steps they provided are correct.
“Some of these incidents have resulted in students depositing the check in their bank account and later discovering that the check was bad, resulting in a loss of money for the student,” Cook said in the announcement.
To report a scam, contact ESU Police and Safety at (620) 343-4225.
