Appalachian has received a handful of reports regarding fraud attempts involving the impersonation of the IRS, Appalachian State University offices and other official organizations.

These fraud attacks have attempted to mislead victims about additional financial charges related to health insurance, tax fraud investigations and other issues.

In some instances, these fraud attempts have used caller ID spoofing — a method that allows the deceitful calls to appear to be coming from legitimate phone numbers.

Tips to help protect yourself

• Always remember that email addresses and incoming phone numbers can be spoofed to appear as if they are legitimate.
• If you receive an email or phone call asking you for an unexpected sum of money from any organization or agency, always call the organization directly using an official number listed on their webpage to validate the request.
• Never believe claims that issues are “confidential” and should not be reported or validated.

If you receive or are aware of any of these or other fraud attempts, report them to your local law enforcement agency.

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