Scams and Online Extortion Attempts
As we transition from summer into the fall semester and approach the holiday season, I want to remind our campus community about the importance of remaining vigilant when interacting with emails, text messages, social media, and online marketplaces. Scams continue to evolve, and advances in technology—including artificial intelligence—have made it easier for individuals to create convincing emails, social media profiles, images, and videos. Taking a few extra moments to pause, verify information, and use good judgment can help protect you from being taken advantage of. Fraudulent profiles can be created quickly, and an attractive deal may ultimately result in receiving counterfeit merchandise—or receiving nothing at all. Some helpful tips include researching the seller and meeting in person on campus at Public Safety for high value items (our lobby on Snake road is open 24/7). To learn more visit About scams on Facebook Marketplace | Facebook Help Center.
Remember: No legitimate police department, government agency, or court system will email or text you demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest or criminal charges. If you receive a message threatening arrest or legal action unless you immediately send money, treat it as a scam. Bucknell’s Information Technology team works diligently to prevent phishing and fraudulent messages from reaching your inbox. However, some messages do get through, and sophisticated scams can sometimes appear to come from a legitimate Bucknell email address. Please call us or IT before engaging in any payment. It is best practice if you have suspicions to contact the person via phone or in person to ask if they sent the email. Please make sure you review the Phishing FAQ from IT .
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has created another form of online exploitation. Students and others may be targeted through social media by individuals who use publicly available photographs to create fabricated or manipulated images or videos that appear to depict sexual activity or other inappropriate conduct. Scammers may then threaten to distribute the material to friends, family members, classmates, or others unless the victim sends money. It can be tempting to want to prevent that from occurring by paying. Please know once you pay the 1st time they will come back again and again and again. Our images are all over the internet and it is easy to grab a facial profile and use it for nefarious purposes. Never pay, report it to the police, and know that the The TAKE IT DOWN Act: A Federal Law Prohibiting the Nonconsensual Publication of Intimate Images may apply. The federal TAKE IT DOWN Act provides protections related to the nonconsensual publication of intimate images and requires covered platforms to establish procedures for removing certain intimate images and videos
Scammers rely on urgency, fear, secrecy, and the promise of an opportunity that seems too good to pass up. Taking a moment to slow down and verify what you are being told can make a significant difference.
If something does not feel right, trust your instincts and ask for help before taking action.
Bucknell Public Safety and Information Technology are available to help members of our community evaluate suspicious messages, online interactions, or potential scams. You do not have to determine whether something is legitimate on your own.
Take Advantage of the free (with one exception) trainings we offer this fall
As we continue to settle into the fall semester we wanted to remind our community to take advantage of free training we offer. We have several instructors and can offer training at a time that works best for our community:
Public Safety has certified instructors on staff for the following classes, most of which are offered at no charge. Use this form to request and schedule a class.
ALICE Training is the original civilian active shooter response training delivered with a trauma-informed approach in an age- and ability-appropriate way. More information can be found at ALICE Training Model.
Class Length: 90 minutes
Max Attendees: No limit
Cost: $0
AVADE Personal Self-Defense provides informative, proactive prevention strategies and interventions that can help prevent and mitigate fear, conflict and aggression while creating a culture of safety. More information can be found at AVADE Workplace Violence Prevention.
Class Length: 90 minutes
Max Attendees: 12
Cost: $0
Basic Car Maintenance teaches the basics of troubleshooting common car issues such as changing a tire, jumping a dead battery and checking the oil. This is a general overview and demonstration for individuals and groups. Individual requests tailored to specific makes and models may also be requested and will be accommodated if possible.
Class Length: Varies
Max Attendees: Varies
Cost: $0
Fraud Awareness teaches participants how to identify common tactics used to defraud and exploit the kindness of others.
Class Length: 30 minutes
Max Attendees: No limit
Cost: $0
Heartsaver CPR AED (group requests only) is a classroom, video-based, instructor-led course that teaches adult CPR, AED use and choking relief. This course uses AHA’s research-proven, practice-while-watching technique, which allows students to mimic accurate skills being performed on the video while instructors provide feedback and guide the students’ skill learning. More information can be found at American Heart Association Heartsaver.
Class Length: 90 minutes
Max Attendees: 6-8 per class — we can schedule multiple classes to certify everyone in a group
Cost: $20 per participant (this covers the cost of necessary supplies and the $17 fee charged by AHA for certification card registration). Invoice will be sent directly from WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital on behalf of the American Heart Association.
Narcan/Naloxone Administration & Distribution teaches participants how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone. Narcan kits will be provided to all participants. Hosted in collaboration with Sheila Packer RN, WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital community educator.
Class Length: 60 minutes
Max Attendees: No limit
Cost: $0
Report Data
The following chart highlights our call for service from September 1st through the 26th.
Annual Clery Report
Bucknell University has released the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report on September 1st, 2026. The Clery Act requires institutions receiving federal funds to publish the report by October 1st of each year. At Bucknell a cross functional Clery team with membership from Student Affairs, Title 9, General Counsel Office, Communications, and Public Safety work collaboratively to complete the annual report.
The 2026 report can be found here: Bucknell University 2026 Security and Fire Safety Report: Reporting Year 2025