The promise of a tax refund, a heartfelt plea to help orphaned children, a request to help soldiers overseas. According to the Department of Public Safety's most recent Awareness Newsletter, all are subjects of countless e-mail scams currently being circulated.
Sue Cooper, crime prevention officer, said DPS has recently received reports of individuals being victimized by these fraudulent e-mails.
"We have recently had reports of e-mails from the IRS which appear legitimate, telling receivers that they have income tax returns," Cooper said. "These e-mails ask for very specific information, such as your name, social security number and date of birth, which can all easily be used to steal your identity."
The e-mail states all the recipient has to do is complete a "secure" form using "cards directly linked to your checking/savings account."
Cooper said any message via e-mail requesting personal information should be regarded with suspicion, adding that legitimate agencies and businesses don't conduct business through e-mail.
"Another thing to be aware of is that there are many scams during the holiday season when people want to give because it is the season to do so," Cooper said. "It's a hard lesson to learn when you try to do something good and you get burned."
DPS provides tips for guarding credit, debit and Marquette identification cards, especially when performing transactions online in their monthly newsletter.
Caitlin Dee, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she had two debit cards and a credit card stolen on a recent trip home to Chicago.
"By the time I realized they were missing, they had already made almost $1,000 in purchases, all of which were at gas stations," Dee said.
Dee has since been completely reimbursed for the fraudulent purchases.
According to Cooper, Dee was lucky she discovered her missing cards as quickly as she did.
"The problem students run into is that they usually don't use their credit cards every day, and because of this, they might not be aware of when they go missing," Cooper said.
A junior in the College of Arts & Sciences who wished to remain anonymous said he works for the police department in his hometown. He said an important thing for college students to note is that using a fake identification card can constitute identity theft, and can be prosecuted as such.
"Other than that, the other important thing to understand is you should never share your credit card number or social security number over a cell phone or an e-mail," he said. "Always use a landline."