College students across the United States have been targeted to participate in work-from-home scams. Students have been receiving e-mails to their school accounts recruiting them for payroll and/or human resource positions with fictitious companies. The “position” simply requires the student to provide his/her bank account number to receive a deposit and then transfer a portion of the funds to another bank account. Unbeknownst to the student, the other account is involved in the scam that the student has now helped perpetrate. The funds the student receives and is directed elsewhere have been stolen by cyber criminals. Participating in the scam is a crime and could lead to the student’s bank account being closed due to fraudulent activity or federal charges.

Here’s how the scam works:

• The student is asked to provide his/her bank account credentials under the guise of setting up direct deposit for his/her pay.
• The scammers will add the student’s bank account to a victim employee’s direct deposit information to redirect the victim’s payroll deposit to the student’s account.
• The student will receive the payroll deposit from the victim’s employer in the victim’s name.
• The student will be directed to withdraw funds from the account and send a portion of the deposit, via wire transfer, to other individuals involved in the scam.

Consequences of Participating in the Scam:

• The student’s bank account will be identified by law enforcement as being involved in the fraud.
• The victim employee has his/her pay stolen by the scammers utilizing the student’s bank account.
• Without the student’s participation, the scam could not be perpetrated, so he/she facilitated the theft of the paycheck.
• The student could be arrested and prosecuted in federal court. A criminal record will stay with the student for the rest of his/her life and will have to be divulged on future job applications, which could prevent the student from being hired.
• The student’s bank account may be closed due to fraudulent activity and a report could be filed by the bank.
• This could adversely affect the student’s credit record.

Tips on how to Protect Yourself from this Scam:

• If a job offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Never accept a job that requires the depositing of funds into your account and wiring them to different accounts.
• Look for poor use of the English language in e-mails such as incorrect grammar, capitalization, and tenses. Many of the scammers who send these messages are not native English speakers.
• Never provide credentials of any kind such as bank account information, login names, passwords, or any other identifying information in response to a recruitment e-mail.
• Forward these e-mails to the university’s IT personnel and tell your friends to be on the lookout for the scam.

If you have been a victim of this scam, you may file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Please reference this PSA number in your complaint.

The IC3 produced a PSA in May 2014 titled “Cyber-related Scams Targeting Universities, Employees, and Students,” which mentioned this scam. The PSA can be viewed at http://www.ic3.gov/media/2014/140505.aspx.

The UCA Police Department is pleased to introduce, as part of our new Community Safety Education Series, the first topic in the series, “Winter Storms”. Why talk about winter storms? Each year, exposure to cold, vehicle accidents caused by wintry roads, and fires caused by the improper use of heaters injure and kill hundreds of people in the United States. Add these to other winter weather hazards and you have a significant threat to human health and safety.

A major winter storm can last for several days and can include high winds, freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall, and cold temperatures. People can become marooned at home without utilities or other services. Heavy snowfall and blizzards can trap motorists in their vehicles and make walking to find help a deadly effort. Storm effects, such as severely cold temperatures, heavy snow, and coastal flooding, can cause hazardous conditions and hidden problems. The aftermath of a winter storm can impact a community or region for days, weeks, or even months.

The “Winter Storms” guide provides detailed information intended to help you and your family reduce your risk of injury or loss in the event of severe winter weather. The guide includes general information about the threats presented by winter storms and action or awareness messages that describe what you should do to prepare for and get safely through winter storms.

The Community Safety Education Series can be found under the Emergency Management tab of our website or by following this link: https://uca.edu/police/go/CSES

Campus emergency procedures for Winter Storms/Ice Storms can be found under the Emergency Management tab of our website or by following the link: https://uca.edu/police/index.php/winter-stormsice-storms/

We hope you find the information helpful in keeping you and your family safe this winter at home and on the road.

The UCA Police Department would like to welcome everyone to the Fall 2014 Semester! Safety and security is the responsibility of everyone. We depend on each and every member of the university community to take an active role in maintaining our excellent quality of life on campus by following a few simple precautions.

• When you leave your apartment or your room, lock your door and windows.
• Do not leave personal items of value unattended.
• Pay attention to your surroundings; avoid distractions. Immediately report any suspicious activity to the UCA Police Department. When in doubt, call 9-1-1 for all emergencies or 501-450-3111 for non-emergency police services.
•  Use the “buddy system” and look out for each other. Safety escorts are available to and from any campus location. To use this service, call 501-450-3111.
• Remember to lock your car and secure all valuables out of sight. If you have security devices for your vehicle, i.e. alarm or vehicle immobilizer, use them.
• To obtain police, fire, or medical emergency services, dial 9-1-1 from your cell phone and any campus phone, or activate any “Blue Light” Emergency Phone. Our 24-hour non-emergency phone number is 501-450-3111.
• We will be testing the UCAAlert System the first week of September. If you do not receive a text from UCAAlert during the test, we will provide you with instructions on how to sign up. UCAAlert will provide you with important information during emergencies, inclement weather closures, etc.
• The UCA Police Department is located at the intersection of W.J. Sowder & Marion Ross Avenue, between Estes Stadium and Christian Cafeteria. Our lobby is open 24/7.
• We take pride in delivering superior law enforcement services to the campus community and look forward to a successful and productive academic year!

CLICK HERE FOR CRIME PREVENTION TIPS

2014-2015 STUDENT Parking Permits will be available July 21, 2014. The cost is included with student fees. The permits can be picked up at the UCA Police Department. Student permits will also be available for pickup in McCastlain Hall during fee payment/registration periods held in the McCastlain Hall ballroom.

2014-2015 FACULTY/STAFF Parking Permits

CLICK HERE to fill out your F/S Parking Permit Application Form then send it to UCA Police via campus mail.

On Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the UCAPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the campus community an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes and residence halls of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your medications for disposal to the UCAPD at W. J. Sowder and Marion Ross Ave. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

If you cannot make it by on Saturday please know we have a permanent drop box available to the campus community 24-hours-a-day. The permanent drop box is located at the main entrance to UCAPD.

The University of Central Arkansas Police Department has partnered with the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug Program, and the Arkansas law enforcement community to establish a permanent MedReturn drug collection program.

Members of the UCA community looking to dispose of excess and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications can now visit the safe and secure permanent drop off location at the main entrance to the UCAPD, located at the corner of W. J. Sowder and Marion Ross Avenue on the UCA campus.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose potential safety and health hazards.

The collection site is available 24-hours-a-day. Drugs can be dropped off with no questions asked.