Ithaca College

The Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management, via the City of Ithaca Police Department, has received notice of a phone scam being conducted in the Ithaca area.  Please be aware of the scam description detailed below, do not follow the instructions provided if you receive such a call, and report any encounter with this scam to the Tompkins County Dispatch Center immediately at 607-272-3245.

The City of Ithaca Police Department summary states, "The scam is conducted via telephone call. It is unknown if the scammer is dialing phone numbers randomly or if there is some sort of rhyme or reason as to what phone number is dialed. The scammer identifies himself as a Police Officer. The scammer advises the person who answers the phone call that they have not paid their student loans and as a result a police investigation has been started against them. The scammer demands that the victim go get a money order while remaining on the phone and send the money order immediately to the scammer or the victim will face some sort of arrest or criminal prosecution."

Again, calls of this nature are not legitimate, and are a scam.  It appears that in at least two of the calls, the scammer was able to make it appear that the phone number that the call is placed from is 607-272-9973. This phone number is the administrative line of the City of Ithaca Police Department, but they are not the source of the call.  Please make a prompt report to the Tompkins County Dispatch Center at 607-272-3245 if you receive a call of this nature.