ETSU officials are warning students about giving personal information over the phone after six students reported calls from people offering financial aid last week.
In each instance, callers asked students for Social Security numbers and dates of birth.
“They identified themselves as wanting to give the subjects a loan,” said ETSU Public Safety Officer Chad Robinson.
Robinson’s warning follows e-mails issued last week by university officials that said, “Fraudulent callers have been misrepresenting themselves as ETSU Financial Aid employees. The ETSU Financial Aid Office will only contact a student by phone if that student has previously been in contact with an ETSU Financial Aid Office employee.”
One or two of the callers have been identified as a credit card company, said Robinson, but investigation will continue.
ETSU officials are tracing suspicious calls and classifying them as harassment.
“I would advise anyone who has had a call like this to contact us, so there will be documentation of it in case something happens,” said Robinson.
If you have a suspicious call to report or think you’ve been the victim of fraud, call Public Safety at 439-6900.

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