Woman using her cell phone.

Fraud Awareness and Prevention

Information and advice to help prevent and respond to fraud attempts.

The UC Davis Police Department is committed to protecting you from all threats of fraud. We are here to provide warning signs and next steps when faced with this form of deception.

Types of fraud and warning signs:

Fraud is an intentional act of criminal deception resulting in a loss or damage to the university and/or an individual. 

  • Employment and Money Wiring Fraud
  • If you receive an email for a job opportunity and are asked to wire money or send gift cards for equipment, it is a scam! View crime alert for more information. 
  • Housing Scams
  • Do not pay someone for housing if you have not met them face-to-face whether that be in person or via FaceTime. If you feel your landlord is instilling a sense of urgency on you to pay them, it may be a scam! View more information on rental scams.
  • Immigration Fraud
  • If you receive a phone call of someone claiming to be an ICE officer that threatens to arrest you unless you wire them money, this is a scam! Federal agencies do not call to tell someone they are going to be arrested or make threats over the phone. Read more on fraudulent phone calls.

Tips for avoiding scams and fraud:

  • A request for money or gift cards from someone you do not know by phone, email, text or other messaging is very likely a fraud. Legitimate entities are not likely to contact you for payment via the phone.
  • Do not send money or gift cards in response to these calls or messages.

If you feel you may be a victim of fraud, don’t hesitate to file a report or reach out to talk to us directly.  

To file a report, please contact us directly:
  •   Davis: (530) 752-1727
  •   Sacramento: (916) 734-2555
If you have questions, contact a CORE officer to discuss: