The Sonoma State Police Department was recently made aware of a scam targeting SSU students. At least two students have come forward so far as victims of this particular scam.

According to SSU Chief of Police, Nader Oweis, Exchange Bank contacted the police department to inform them of this ongoing scam. This operation targets students through phone calls and email, impersonating the Sonoma State Employment department, which does not exist.

This scam attempts to employ students to test Bitcoin machines in the area. The scammers send a fraudulent check for the student to deposit. Once it is deposited, they are told to withdraw the money and take it to the Bitcoin machine. They then ask the student to send the transaction receipt, which lets the scammers access their bank account. 

SSU accounting major, Aaron Altona said, “It seems that scams like this are becoming increasingly common nowadays, and I think that for many of the people conducting these scams, they justify it in their own minds by thinking they’re taking from people who have more money than they need, or they are just so desperate or apathetic that they don’t think about the harm they’re causing. But in reality, these scams very often target people who are in financially vulnerable periods of their lives, such as retirees who no longer have a source of income, or in this case, college students who are often hard-pressed for money and are more likely to be lured in by the promise of payment. These scams are highly predatory, and it’s very sad to see this affecting my peers.”

Similar scams will contact students with job opportunities, posing as members of a school’s faculty. They offer easy jobs with flexible hours that sound appealing to college students. 

When someone applies for the job, they hire them without an interview and will send a check to deposit before the student has done any work. The scammer tells their victim to purchase gift cards or supplies for their new job to be sent to the scammer. However, the check they provide ends up being fraudulent, and any money spent and sent to the employer is lost forever.

Nadine Hisse, a psychology major at SSU, told us, “It’s really unfortunate that scammers are using the institution to manipulate students who are trying to get an education.“

In order to avoid being a victim of this, it is important to do research into potential employers. Make sure that their website is professional and their contact information is legitimate. It is also essential to check what other people have said online about their experiences with the company. 

Emails from scammers often include grammatical errors and typos, as well as promises of being hired without an interview or payment without working first. No reputable business will include these errors or promises in its hiring process.

If you are a victim or suspect a scammer is trying to defraud you with financial loss, you can file a report by calling the Sonoma State Police Department’s non-emergency line at (707) 664-4444.