University police are advising students to be aware of families that have scammed thousands of dollars from students in Westwood.
Several families aim to persuade students to give them money by claiming they need money for hospital visits or medicine, said UCPD detective Brian Washburn. He said they first ask for a small amount of money, but continue to ask for more after students pay the initial amount.
Washburn said scammers often strike on Le Conte Avenue near both Gayley Avenue and Westwood Boulevard. Other students have also reported incidents outside Ralphs and the Bank of America building, he added.
Washburn said students have reported more than a dozen scams over the past two years, up from about three per year in the past.
He added he thinks scammers target UCLA students because they are more willing to help. Every year, scammers can also target new students who haven’t heard about the families.
In the past, UCPD has arrested families that scam students, but county prosecutors have not filed charges because police lacked evidence, Washburn said. He added multiple students would have to give similar testimonies to show families intended to deceive them.
Several students said scammers have approached them in Westwood.
Heruy Wolde-Yohannes, a third-year geography student, said he encountered a family in a white Dodge pickup truck near Weyburn and Veteran avenues.
He said he saw a father and a son in the front, and two children in the rear passenger seats. The father said they needed gas money because one of his children had leukemia and needed to go to the hospital.
Wolde-Yohannes said the family left when he told them he could not give them money.
He added the father, who sounded like he was reading from a script, had an expensive-looking phone, watch and gold chain and drove a new-looking truck.
Another student said he encountered a family during fall quarter.
Thomas Feng, a fourth-year music student, said the family approached him in the North Village in a similar white pickup truck.
He said he was walking home near Strathmore Drive and Midvale Avenue when a woman asked him for gas money so she could take her son to the hospital. Feng said the woman, who looked distressed, offered to give him her phone number and a ring for collateral.
Feng said he gave her $10, but she continued to ask for more money. He added they drove away after he told her he didn’t have any more cash.
Over the past year, students have reported more scams involving apartment leases, Washburn said. He added scammers often pretend to lease apartments online and ask students to send them money through a wired transaction.
University police arrested James Webb Hunter III in October 2014 for pretending to lease apartments to students on Craigslist. In July, Hunter was sentenced to 10 days in county jail and a three-year probation.
Washburn recommended students not give money to any scammers, because those in need of immediate medical attention can always seek treatment at hospitals.
“We’re trying to tell students not to give money to people asking for it on the street,” Washburn said. “It’s almost always a scam.”