Police Briefs — Week of April 23

You got Google Played

On April 17 at 5:16 p.m., Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a report from the International Center that an individual posing as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had scammed a graduate student. An email sent to the student claimed they were staying longer than their visa allowed and thus they would have to pay $5,000 to the IRS to remain in the United States. The student withdrew $5,000 from their account, purchased a Google Play gift card worth $2,000 and provided the scammer with the access code. After the student sent the code they realized it was likely a scam and went to the International Center for further information. TUPD advises all students and Tufts community members to be careful with their online activity and report suspicious emails.

On the vend

On April 19 at 2:33 p.m., TUPD received a report from a student that their JumboCash had been accessed and used without their knowledge. The JumboCash was used at a vending machine in Bush Hall. After further investigation, TUPD discovered that the student had been in Bush Hall over the summer and had used the vending machine repeatedly, but the machine had not been posting a record of the transactions that took place until a technician recently brought the machine back online and then updated with previous JumboCash purchases.

Crash and don't return

Later that day at 3:16 p.m., TUPD responded to a motor vehicle crash on College Avenue. A person in a vehicle hit a parked pick-up truck, which in turn hit another parked vehicle. The vehicle that instigated the accident remained on the scene, but the driver was not there when TUPD arrived on the scene. After a quick search, TUPD and the Somerville Police Department successfully located the individual responsible for the crash.

Sleep is for (every day of) the week

On April 22 at 12:15 a.m., TUPD found a student passed out on College Avenue. TUPD was able to awaken the student, who then reported they had not slept in 40 hours and thus must have fallen asleep on the sidewalk. Tufts Emergency Medical Services performed a medical evaluation on the student and suggested they be taken to the hospital, but the student refused to seek further treatment. TUPD reminds students not to neglect their physical needs during the upcoming exam period.