EAST LANSING - Several students at Michigan State University reporting they were targeted by scammers.

Telephone calls claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the FBI, or other legitimate agencies.

The caller states the person owes money for unpaid student loan taxes, immigration issues, or federal or state taxes, and demands the person send money through a prepaid card, MoneyGram, or gift cards such as iTunes.

The IRS or other agencies will never ask for payment over the phone or to buy gift cards.

Phone numbers of the callers appear to reflect law enforcement or authentic numbers from the IRS.

However, the caller ID is spoofed.

MSU third- year law student, Michael Foster received that call.

Foster states, “They told me that I owed money for tax evasion that the IRS had actually given papers to the FBI. They knew my full name, where I lived, and that I was currently in school."

Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the MSU Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Joshua Wease says, "The stories are very prevalent, we know that the students at MSU have been targeted and a lot International students."

MSU Police Captain Doug Monette reveals students are not the only ones affected.

"These scams are occurring across the country. It is not only a student situation; the state of Michigan and people across the nation have been affected.”

If you receive one of these phone calls or have been a victim, hang up and call your local authorities.

If you are a victim of a scam , you can file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center as law enforcement track this information and will open up investigations if they are able to do so.

The link : www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx



Here are some tips to keep you safe:

1. Always be skeptical of phone numbers that appear on caller ID, they can be spoofed.

2. Never giver out your passwords, PIN, or social security number.

3.Don’t give out any financial or personal information over the phone to someone who has contacted you.

4. Don’t wire money to anyone you have never met in person.





For additional information check out the following links:

www.onguardonline.gov/topics/avoid-scams
www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams www.stopfraud.gov/