Campus Safety Notices

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

Drexel Police are advising the campus community of ongoing scams targeting international students.

In the most recent incidents, individuals have reported receiving a call from a person claiming to be a representative of the Drexel University Police Department with the caller ID spoofing the Drexel Police emergency number. Although the tactics vary, in these calls the scammers have presented false claims that the individuals have committed documentation fraud and have demanded the individuals to send money to avoid having their visas cancelled.

While the language used by scammers may vary slightly, the core tactics remain the same. The scammer may:

• Claim that you failed to file Form AR-11 (Change of Address Form) and that a complaint has been lodged against you.
• Threaten deportation or legal action.
• Possess some of your personal information, such as your major, nationality, etc., likely gathered from public sources.

Scam calls often come from spoofed numbers. Drexel Police will never call you to discuss visa status or to demand that you transfer money. Government agencies will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. They do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo, CashApp or gift cards as payment for immigration fees. 

If you receive a threatening call, do not engage, hang up immediately and call Drexel Police at 215.895.2222. Do not provide any personal information. Scammers use sophisticated methods and scare tactics, but no legitimate agency will contact you to threaten deportation or demand personal information.

If you feel that you have been a victim of a scam and you have provided personal information or payment, please contact Drexel Police at 215.895.2222 to file a police report.

Additional information regarding common scams targeting international students and acceptable methods for paying filing fees can be found on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. Drexel’s Office of International Students and Scholars Services is also a resource for international students seeking additional immigration-related guidance and information.

Mel Singleton

Vice President/Chief of Police

Department of Public Safety

What Is This Notice?

A Public Safety Advisory is sent for situations that do not require a Timely Warning Notice or Emergency Notification, but nevertheless present an important opportunity to share safety- or security-related information with the campus community. Circumstances that may give rise to such advisories include: when crimes occur within the Clery Act campus boundary line but on private property that is not Clery-reportable; off-campus crimes (Clery or non-Clery crimes) occurring in a location in which a high concentration of students or employees may be found; or other safety- or security-related situations that are prudent to share with members of the campus community to apprise them of the circumstances and encourage them to remain steadfast in observing, reporting, and intervening, as appropriate, to promote safety.

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

Drexel Police are advising the campus community of a burglary that occurred on December 4, at the Lexington Apartments located at 3601 Powelton Ave. The reporting party stated that two unknown persons entered the complex via forced entry and stole several packages from the apartment lobby before leaving the area.

Police are seeking two offenders in this matter. Suspect #1 is described as a Black male, last seen wearing a gray jacket, A black hoodie with a Drexel logo and blue pants. Suspect #2 is described as a Black male last seen wearing black pants, a grey Puma hoodie and a fanny pack. The offenders were last seen headed west on Pearl Street from 36th Street.

Drexel Police are continuing to investigate this matter, although no arrests have been made.

If you have information that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the Drexel University Police Department at 215.895.2222.

Drexel Public Safety provides the following general information about preventing and reporting a burglary in our community:

If you are the victim of a burglary, or you discover someone inside your residence

• If possible, immediately leave your residence and go to a safe area (e.g., a neighbor’s apartment or a public place).
• Call the Drexel University police Department at 215.895.2222 or the Philadelphia Police Department at 9-1-1.
• If you are unable to leave your residence, secure yourself and your family members in a safe location, turn on all available lights and call the police immediately.

To help reduce the risk of being the victim of a burglary

• Make sure doors and windows are closed and locked. When it is hot out, use a lock or item which only allows the window to open small distances.
• If you live on campus and your windows or doors won’t lock, please submit a Housing Maintenance Request.
• If your office windows or doors won’t lock, please submit a Facilities Work Request.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If you see suspicious activity, call the Drexel Police Department at 215.895.2222 or call Philadelphia Police at 9-1-1.
• Know the location of campus emergency telephones on your routes to and from campus destinations.
• Avoid displaying and/or placing high value items close to windows. Items such as computers, cell phones, wallets, and purses can be easily grabbed from open windows and may be incentives for criminals to try and enter the residence. Always secure your valuables.
• Be alert and aware. Pay full attention to who is around when you leave and return to your residence or office. If returning at night, leave a light on inside as a visual deterrent.

Drexel Public Safety encourages students, faculty and staff to be alert, take precautions, and report crimes and suspicious activities. Your efforts to stay well-informed and take preventive action will help in maintaining the safest possible environment on Drexel’s campuses.

Members of the Drexel community may call Public Safety for a walking escort at 215.895.2222 or use the Drexel Guardian app. Additional crime prevention and awareness tips can be found on Public Safety's website.

Any suspicious activity should immediately be reported to Philadelphia police by calling 911 or Drexel police by calling 215.895.2222.

Mel Singleton

Vice President/Chief of Police

Department of Public Safety

What Is This Notice?

The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to assess certain crimes and issue a timely warning when a crime poses a serious or on-going threat to the campus community, faculty, staff, and/or visitors. Timely warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will assist community members in protecting themselves. Drexel Public Safety makes the decision to issue a timely warning notice on a case-by-case basis for the following crimes: homicide, sex offenses (rape, fondling, incest and statutory rape), robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and hate crimes, as defined by the Clery Act.