Three University of Memphis student IDs were reported stolen and used fraudulently in the past two weeks, and at least one of those students has yet to receive her funds.
There have been a total of eight reported stolen Campus Cards this semester so far, according to campus police reports.
If fraud of a student ID occurs, “the loss of funds is the responsibility of the cardholder,†according to the University of Memphis policy. Although the Bursar’s office handles majority of the refunding process, they said they cannot refund lost or stolen funds to a student ID without first obtaining a crime report from campus police and investigating the incident.
On-campus vending machines are usually the main target for stolen student IDs and Campus Cards, according to the Bursar’s office. These vending machines are accessible, automatic and require no supervision, which makes them ideal stops for theives.
On Oct. 25, the first victim, Saira Sikandar, found $299.54 was missing from her Dining Dollars account, which began at $300, according to a campus police report written by officer Stephen Grisham.
The next victim found that her Campus card was missing from her Centennial Place dorm room, and she checked her account to find $30 dollars missing, according to a campus police report written by officer James Vickers.
The third victim found an unknown amount of purchases on his Campus Card, according to a police report written by officer Laron Young.
The money taken from Sikandar’s card was used mostly at the all-male South Hall dorm vending machines, as well as a few other vending machines on campus.
“I was really hopeful my money would be refunded, but now I feel like it won’t,†Sikandar said. “I don’t understand what’s taking them so long because it obviously wasn’t me if it was in South Hall.â€
She received an email Tuesday morning from the Office of Student Accountability, Outreach and Support stating she would have to pay $10 to acquire a new Campus Card.
“I just didn’t like the fact that they aren’t giving me updates, and I have to constantly call to know what’s going on within my case,†Sikandar said.
On campus, vending machines are usually the main target for these stolen student IDs and campus cards, according to the Bursar’s office. These vending machines are accessible, automatic and require no supervision, which makes it an ideal stop for Student ID theft.
Students who want to receive a refund from a vending machine can call the number located on the side of the vending machine, according to Latisha Arnold, a Bursar’s Office student financial assistant.
 “In a situation where the vending machine is lacking a number, you will then seek a refund at the cash office located right in front of the Bursar’s Office,†Arnold said.
If a campus card is lost or stolen, students should deactivate the card immediately, U of M Bursar Greg Atkins said.
“Once you deactivate the card, you should then file a police report immediately after you’ve deactivated your card,†Atkins said. “A replacement fee of $10 will be charged to receive a new student ID.â€
Student IDs should be reported in a timely manner for police services to investigate the cases. If the lost card is reported to police services in a timely fashion, they can seek a photo of the suspect, which makes them more likely to be apprehended.Â
“The two biggest problems are waiting before cutting it off and not checking to see if someone has used it,†Derek Myers, assistant chief of campus police, said, “We get reports where it has been weeks since the unauthorized use, which makes it difficult to identify a suspect.â€
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