A woman reported being the victim of an internet-based scam. The woman intended to purchase a Dachshund puppy from a company in Nebraska and paid an $800 deposit through Venmo and ApplePay. She then was asked to pay over $2,000 across multiple transactions for the puppy, a flight, an insulated kennel, and mortality insurance. On the day the puppy was supposed to get delivered, the company informed her the dog had died, and she would be paid $56,000 through her insurance policy, with $10,000 arriving the following Monday. The woman has yet to receive a payment.

A U. of I. student fell victim to a fraud scam involving individuals posing as Chase Bank fraud protection employees. The scammers called her twice, claiming to address unauthorized transactions in Texas and asking her to verify her identity through pop-ups in the Chase app. They requested her PIN and email address, and she provided the information. Later, she noticed unauthorized ATM withdrawals totaling $1,160. Realizing the scam, she contacted Chase Bank, who confirmed the fraudulent transactions. The student ceased all contact with the scammer and contacted police.

A U. of I. student reported purchasing a monthly subscription she no longer wanted. The student searched the Apple customer support phone number online and clicked on the first one that appeared. The offender informed the student that she would have to send money in gift cards to receive a refund for the monthly subscription. The student initially purchased a $300 and a $200 Target gift card and provided the offender with the card information. She was then instructed to buy two more $300 gift cards, and she complied. When the offender asked the student to purchase $700 in gift [...]

A man contacted U. of I. police to report that he was the victim of extortion. The man was contacted via Facebook Messenger by a female whose picture he had commented on previously. After exchanging explicit photos and videos, the offender told him she would share the images with his family and friends unless he sent her a $100 pre-paid Visa card. After sending the Visa card, the offender told the man the card was not valid and requested $200 in pre-paid Apple gift cards. The man complied but continued to receive threatening messages from the offender. The man contacted [...]

A U. of I. student contacted an individual on WhatsApp for assistance with locating sources for an assignment. Both parties agreed that each source would cost $30, and the student transferred $180 to the offender via the online banking platform Remitly for six sources. After transferring the funds, the student never received the sources and questioned the offender, who began requesting more money and threatening the student. The student contacted police and ceased communication with the scammer.