The phone scammers targeting Colorado State students and employees have upped their game, and are now “spoofing” caller ID so that their calls appear to be from the CSU Police Department (970-491-6425), according to a University press release.

The person calling may claim to represent CSUPD and demand money from the student or employee he or she has called, threatening to arrest or suspend them for various reasons.

The scam uses the University’s online directory as well as social media to find phone numbers and personal information about students and make the call seem more real.

CSUPD has provided tips for those hoping to avoid a phone scam.

First, students can assume that any attempt over the phone to solicit payment via PayPal, Western union or Moneygram are fraudulent.

Students should not share sensitive, personal or financial information over the phone, no matter how legitimate the caller sounds or how much personal information they are able to share.

If students are contacted by someone claiming to be from a law enforcement agency demanding money, they should hang up and contact their local law enforcement agency to verify information. If contacted by someone claiming to be from the IRS or a government office, hang up and contact that office to verify.

If a student has been a victim of a recent fraud and provided financial information to a caller, they are advised to call CSUPD at (970) 491-6425.

Collegian News Staff can be reached at news@collegian.com.