Scam: “Free” High-Value Items for Sale

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:03:10 -0400
financial, it, itsecurity, phishing, scams, security

Dear UMBC Community,

It has come to our attention that a new wave of a popular scam has emerged. Scammers are impersonating faculty or someone with a high degree of trust among the community. In some cases, this may appear to come from a UMBC account.

The scam usually begins with a story of someone with a few high-value items going through a rough patch of life. The story claims that the person lost a loved one who owned high-value items or is relocating and has to empty their apartment of valuable items ASAP. They go on to "generously" offer those high-priced items for FREE!

These items can be an expensive digital camera, a pricey violin, a collector's guitar, or a cherished baby grand piano. But it wouldn't be a scam if there wasn't a catch. The scammers only ask you to cover the shipping costs for delivering the items to your location. They generally ask that you contact them outside of the UMBC.edu domain, either via email or phone. Once an external contact is established, scammers build rapport and ask for personal information, such as mailing addresses, to process a "shipping fee."

Once a payment is made to scammers, users are generally ghosted and calls/texts go unanswered. If you believe you have been a victim to such a scam, please contact law enforcement for assistance.

Be vigilant and look for the following signs:

A story that is too good to be true ("granny was a musical prodigy and we are giving away her collection for free!")

Urgency in communication ("items are only available to the first person who reaches out!")

Moving to outside platforms ("text me on my cell number!")

Unusual request for personally identifiable information ("What's your mailing address?")

Financial requests that are not secure or traceable ("send me the money via a digital wallet!")

For more information about this, please refer to these resources:

1. How can I identify phishing?

2. How Can I Avoid Identity Theft?

If you suspect a phishing or scam attempt, do not reply, click any links, open any attachments, or provide your information. Instead, forward the email immediately to the security team at security@umbc.edu. Your report helps protect everyone!

Thank you all for your continued awareness and assistance in keeping our community secure.

Cybersecurity Assurance and Digital Trust
UMBC Division of Information Technology (DoIT)