URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A University of Illinois student is out of several hundred dollars after police said they fell victim to a fraudulent sale.
U of I Police officials said they were made aware of the scam on March 21. The student reported that they tried to buy a camera from a private vendor in an online marketplace in February and paid $677 for it.
The camera never arrived at their address and the student later learned that the vendor had provided false tracking numbers. The vendor was unreachable after the student recognized the scam.
This is the latest scam in a series that have been reported to U of I Police throughout the academic year. A list can be found on their website, with scams including extortion, impersonation of authorities, employers and friends, and other instances of fraudulent sales.
U of I Police also allow their lobby, located at 1110 West Springfield Avenue in Urbana, to be used as a meeting place to complete sales that start online. Officials said the simple act of proposing the lobby as a meeting place can turn away people with bad intentions.
