Purdue police, student support teams warn of social media schemes

Purdue’s Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life and the university police department are warning students of online schemes targeting people through social media applications.

The schemes are designed to entice the victim to send personally identifying items. Once the schemer receives the items, the victim is extorted for money.

Purdue police and the Student Life office have seen an uptick in reports of such attempts.

Students are encouraged to know who they are communicating with online and to not send any personal information or anything of personal nature.

If anyone receives such a request for personally identifying items from an unknown source, they are urged not to respond and to leave the conversation. Anyone who believes they have been a victim of a crime should call the police.