<p>this was posted in the Villanova thread by Tractorfarmer but it should apply to any Freshman...The info is that important...</p>
<p>Every year people from off-campus ask you to fill out surveys. Don't!</p>
<p>There are lines of gullible freshman filling out survey forms, giving their name, address, social security number, and other personal information to strangers. It seems silly, and you think you would never give out your personal information, but they have tricks. Sometimes they offer some junk (prizes) in exchange for filling out a form. Other times, they give the impression that you are really helping a good cause and make you feel like a hero. Just walk by them. If they give you a wierd feeling and you think they are out of place, just call Public Safety. They usually get escorted off campus and sometimes are arrested. Part of their trick is they hide in a large crowd . Since the street and sidewalk open to the public, Public Safety has their limits. And they don't sit at a table, they walk back and forth in crowds, so they don't look as suspicious, and usually work in small groups.</p>
<p>Just as you can't trust anyone on this site as to who they claim they are, don't trust people just because they are wearing your schools clothing. Anyone can go to the campus store and buy a shirt. </p>
<p>Everyone is looking to meet new friends and it is easy to let your guard down. Criminals know this, and take advantage of it. Be careful and have fun!</p>
<p>Agreed 100%!!! And be wary of on-campus surveys [or so they claim] as well!</p>
<p>During my freshman year, a guy who claimed to be from a club on campus [which I had never heard of but thought it was because we have so many clubs; later turned out it never existed] asked me to do a super quick, non-personal survey while I was eating in the dining hall. I said sure, and he just asked me what kind of magazines I liked. I answered, and he said he can sell them to me as well. Thinking it was a scam [and not wanting to buy any magazines], I said no thanks. He asked if it was because I didn’t have money on me and offered to come back to my dorm room with me to get some cash. Um… After I said no again and got up to leave, he punched the table and started yelling at me that brats in college think they’re so privileged and that we shouldn’t waste people’s time like that, and it’s all my fault that he’ll never make it to Australia or something…</p>
<p>Long story short, I went to work [upstairs from the dining hall], and started to return to my dorm two hours later at about 8pm. While walking back, the same guy appeared, grabbed my arm, took my bag [which didn’t have my ID in it, luckily], and punched me until I fell and he could get away. </p>
<p>Generally, the survey people aren’t THAT weird and their scam is usually just getting you to sign up for a credit card or something, but a lot of them really ARE there to prey on college students.</p>
<p>Wow that sucks. The magazine guy at our school would smoke people out in order to get them to subscribe to the magazines. The police ended up arresting the guy, and everyone who signed up for magazine subscriptions got a refund.</p>