On September 28, 2015, the FBI Atlanta Division issued a warning asking consumers to be on alert for a phone scam that targets college students. By using a technique called “spoofing,” scammers are able to make the FBI's Atlanta Division telephone number appear on Caller ID even if the call is coming from a different number, according to the FBI release. College students at several universities in Georgia, along with universities in other states, complained of a phone scam involving someone claiming they are representing the U.S. Government or FBI agent. During these calls, the caller informs students that loans or dues, delinquent taxes or overdue parking tickets needed to be paid for.
The caller reportedly sometimes threatens students, claiming they will be arrested or not graduate if the fees were not paid for via MoneyGram. The FBI reports that during each attempt, the caller tries to obtain personal information from the students by claiming they have specific student information. The FBI wants the public to know that they do not call private citizens requesting money and reminds everyone to “never give out unsolicited requests for personal information” to someone you do not know. Anyone who has received scam phone calls is advised to file a complaint through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.