The University Record, September 17, 1996
POLICE BEAT
By Rebecca A. Doyle
Computer theft leads
to arrest, trial
A former consultant to the University was bound over to trial following his arraignment and preliminary hearing in 15th District Court on charges of theft. He was charged with breaking and entering in the alleged theft of three computers from the M-CARE facility on Plymouth Road in May.
Suspect sentenced in Law, South Quad break-ins
A man not affiliated with the University was sentenced Aug. 22 to 3-15 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of second degree home invasion. Break-ins were reported by residents in both areas on July 15 and housing officers reported a man in the area who answered the description of the witnesses. He was arrested and subsequently pled guilty to lesser charges than the original counts of first-degree home invasion.
Fire in Natural Science Bldg. causes $10,000+ in damage
Water, fire and smoke damage to a fume hood and a laboratory in the Natural Science Bldg. will amount to more than $10,000, Department of Public Safety Captain James Smiley says. On Sept. 9, DPS officers and the Ann Arbor Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the building on North University St. A smoldering cigarette in a waste receptacle was determined to be the cause of the blaze. DPS officers have determined that the fire was accidental and no further investigation is planned.
Beware of phone fraud
A number of University departments recently have been targeted by persons attempting to fraudulently obtain long distance telephone service. The calls typically begin with a recorded message instructing the person answering the phone to press one, at which time a caller will come on the line and identify himself as an AT&T worker checking the lines. The caller then instructs that his call should be transferred and the person should then hang up, which results in the University department being billed for a long distance call.
AT&T has stated that it does not make such calls to check phone lines and has been receiving a large number of similar complaints, many involving calls originating from prison inmates. If calls like this are received, do not transfer the call as instructed by the caller. Public Safety should be notified of the incident.
Another typical fraudulent call consists of the suspect, who calls collect, identifying himself as the parent of a child hospitalized at U-M Hospitals and requesting to be transferred to a long- distance number for an emergency call. The suspect will often provide a hospital room number and telephone number in an attempt to make his story more credible. Instruction on how to operate this scam has been passed around among county jail inmates in Michigan. Please do not accept such calls and notify Public Safety of any such fraudulent activity.
