Stay Safe

To keep your personal belongings safe inside of your locker at all times, we would like to suggest some options when choosing a lock for your locker.

• Locks should be metal and strong, with at least a 6mm (millimeter) shackle. Please DO NOT choose a lock with a small shackle, or a small lock that can easily be broken (i.e. TSA travel locks or small locks that fit on a suitcase).
• A combination lock or a key lock is fine. 

If you ever find that your locker has been broken into, or you notice that your lock/locker has been tampered with, please visit the nearest security desk and inform Campus Security immediately.

We urge all members of our community to be vigilant against scams and fraud. Please know that police will never ask for payment to resolve a criminal matter, and most schemes are designed to capitalize on a fear of not cooperating with government authorities. The following tips can help protect you:

• Safety First. If you are concerned for your safety, contact Campus Security by going to the security desk in any building lobby, pressing the red button on any campus phone, or calling 312.899.1230. Off-campus, contact the Chicago Police Department by calling 911.
• Don’t Answer and/or Just Hang Up. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are fake. Do not press one to speak to a person or to be taken off the list as that could lead to more calls. It's often safest to not answer telephone calls from people you don’t know and let them go to voicemail.
• Don’t Be Pressured. Scammers often threaten you and pressure you to prove your innocence. Hang up and don’t respond.
• Talk to Someone. Before you give money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry and might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert—or just tell a friend.
• Get Others Involved. If someone tells you that you are being investigated, speak to Campus Security, law enforcement, a parent, or a trusted friend.
• Spot Imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company with whom you do business. Do not send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request—whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.
• Google It. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
• Do Not Believe Your Caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see are not always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
• Do Not Pay Upfront for a Promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit, and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you have won a prize, but first, you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear.
• Consider How You Pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods do not. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it is nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true of bank transfers, prepaid debit cards, and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
• Don’t Hand Your Phone to a Stranger. Don’t hand your phone to someone you don’t know, especially if you are logged into a banking, credit card, or other payment app. The other person can easily change the payment amount while entering their phone number or other information. It is often impossible to get bank and peer-to-peer money transfers (such as Zelle) reversed.