Ball State sophomore Paul Blakely received about 80 e-mails Tuesday saying that Microsoft, AOL and Intel were running an e-mail beta test and that he could earn at least $10,000 if he forwarded the e-mail to as many people as possible.
After he contacted AOL, Intel and Microsoft to confirm the beta test was a hoax, Blakely said he contacted the dean of students and sent a mass e-mail out to students to let them know about the scam.
"I just wanted to get it out to (everyone)," Blakely said. "When you forward it to people, you not only annoy them, but you show yourself to the world that you are gullible."
Unfortunately, an increasing number of students today continue to fall for Internet scams, John Connor, Student Legal Services attorney, said.
"I've been here six years, and in the last two to three years, I've seen a dramatic increase in problems," Connor said.
He said, like many students, he receives an overwhelming amount of junk e-mails on a daily basis. On Monday mornings, he often opens his e-mail account to find at least 40, he said.
"And it's gotten to be a joke at home -- delete, delete, delete," Connor said. "But we've had some students out of curiosity respond."
SCAMMERS TARGET STUDENTS
According to the National Fraud Information Center, the primary ages of Internet scam victims range from 20-49, with 24 percent of the victims ranging from 20-29 years old. During the first half of 2004, three common types of fraud involved online auctions, general merchandise and Nigerian money offers, resulting in an average loss of $803 for victims, the center said.
David Fried, associate dean of students, said students must remember that online offers are often too good to be true.
"More often than not, you never get anything for free," Fried said. "If you hear some offer through e-mail or even by telephone, you can always check it out with the Better Business Bureau ... just be cautious. Research (the e-mail) if you're interested, or just delete it."
Connor said a typical Internet scam that often affects students is the fake-check scam, in which a scammer offers to give someone an "advance" on a sweepstakes he or she has supposedly won, offers to pay someone to do work at home or offers to buy something a person has advertised, according to the National Consumers League's Internet Fraud Watch.
Fake check scammers often hunt for victims by scanning newspapers and online advertisements, where people are listing items for sale or are seeking employment, Connor said. Scammers then respond by creating an ad emphasizing their phone number or e-mail addresses so their victims will have an easy way to contact them.
"When you're selling something online, you're inviting [scammers] to contact you," Connor said. "They're trying to build your trust. Initially, they want you to contact them, and as the relationship develops, they will start asking you for more personal information."
According to Internet Fraud Watch, many scammers will say they are from another country and will send their victims a fake check for more than the price of the item the victim is selling. Scammers will tell their victims to deposit the check, keep what he or she is owed and wire the rest to them, the site said.
Connor said one Ball State student was recently victimized when she put her car up for sale for about $900 and placed her ad on the Internet. A man contacted her and said her car was highly sought in his foreign country and that he needed the vehicle shipped to him. He sent the student a legitimate-looking cashier's check worth several thousand dollars and said he wanted her to deposit it in her bank account and then to send a money order to a shipper on the East Coast so the car could be shipped to him. A couple of days after she deposited the check, she got a call from the bank saying the cashier's check was fraudulent.
"When you first deposit a check, you're warranting to the bank that this is a good check," Connor said. "And by the time someone has figured out it's a bad check, the scammer has taken your funds and run."
CREDIT CREDITS LEAD TO THEFT
Connor said identity theft is also common in today's society. Typically once every couple of weeks he encounters a student who has had his or her identity stolen, he said.
Connor said many students experience such situations when they apply for credit cards without making sure their applications are legitimate. For example, representatives are occasionally situated at tables at Ball State's Scramble Light, offering students free T-shirts for filling out credit card application forms. Students often release their names, addresses and even their social security numbers, not knowing whether a representative could be a con artist who plans to buy a credit card in a student's name.
Connor said he encourages students to be extremely cautious when relaying personal information, especially their Social Security and credit card numbers, and to strive to protect their identities.
"The most valuable thing you own is your identity," Connor said. "If it is owned by the wrong person, it can be a nightmare to straighten it back out - and very costly ... Daily, [scammers] are out there fishing for gullible people who will contact them."
He said undergoing the process of reclaiming a lost identity is not only financially demanding, but time consuming.
"People spend literally years trying to get things straightened out with alleged creditors tracking them down for bills they didn't incur," Connor said.
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
According to The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, one of the best ways to respond to identity theft is to report the crime to the police and keep copies of the report to show to creditors. Victims should immediately call credit card issuers to get replacement cards with new account numbers, cancel checking and saving accounts to open new ones and request a new ATM card with a new password.
Students can report fake check scams to the National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch at www.fraud.org or (800) 876-7060.
Fried said students who become the victims of Internet scams are also able to file a complaint with the University Police Department or contact the office of the Dean of Students.
"We will do all we can to help students get some assistance," Fried said.
Connor said he hopes all students will be more aware of the frequency of Internet scams and will take the steps necessary to prevent themselves from eventually becoming a victim.
"Hopefully we can make a student think twice before giving out information they'll later regret," Connor said.
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