Alumni Verification Due!

[Ben]

So for the past two months, I have been getting weekly "Critical! Alumni verification needed" emails from my old University. I'm not in the alumni association other than by default of having graduated from there. I never do any alumni stuff or anything.

Suddenly, I'm getting not only these emails, but have gotten two letters as well. Which, if my brain is working correctly, indicates that they not only already have my email, but have updated my mailing address from one of those lists they can buy for when people move.

Also, the only way I can "verify" is to call them. No website or email address to send info to. I know it's not a phishing scam from someone else - the contact info is all the university and the contact person works there. I'm guessing where it IS a scam, is that they want me to call the number so they can pressure me for a donation rather than update my info.

Anyone else get something like this from their alumni association? I'm pretty sure it's just them trying to squeeze me for dough, but interested if it's a common alumni scam.

[zxcvbob]

So for the past two months, I have been getting weekly "Critical! Alumni verification needed" emails from my old University. I'm not in the alumni association other than by default of having graduated from there. I never do any alumni stuff or anything.

Suddenly, I'm getting not only these emails, but have gotten two letters as well. Which, if my brain is working correctly, indicates that they not only already have my email, but have updated my mailing address from one of those lists they can buy for when people move.

Also, the only way I can "verify" is to call them. No website or email address to send info to. I know it's not a phishing scam from someone else - the contact info is all the university and the contact person works there. I'm guessing where it IS a scam, is that they want me to call the number so they can pressure me for a donation rather than update my info.

Anyone else get something like this from their alumni association? I'm pretty sure it's just them trying to squeeze me for dough, but interested if it's a common alumni scam.

I just ignore all those emails and letters unless it comes directly from one of my buddies, or it's a class of '82 newsletter.  I don't get them very often, perhaps because I've only given one small alumni gift and it wasn't a response to one of their pleas.  (I had vowed to myself I would never give anything, but they had a special project I liked and I donated $100 directly to that)

[Fly320s]

Not a scam, but they really do want your money. 

[Unisaw]

I’ve seen this before.  They are publishing an alumni directory.  After updating your info, they will try to sell you one.

[Ben]

I’ve seen this before.  They are publishing an alumni directory.  After updating your info, they will try to sell you one.

Ah, interesting. I wonder if there's a way to opt out of being in the directory? There's all kinds of people I went to school with that I don't want tracking me down. 

[230RN]

I’ve seen this before.  They are publishing an alumni directory.  After updating your info, they will try to sell you one.

There is/was a scam that involved putting "you" into some half-assed "Who's Who" publication ("Prominent People Who Live Higher Than 5000 Feet East Of The Rockies)"), then selling the information to marketeers and plying you for donations afterwards.  I had heard of this from some school colleagues, so I was forewarned and told the requestor that I had never accomplished anything of note and never intended to.

Incidentally, perhaps amusingly, about twenty years ago I had need of my grade transcript so I went to the Registrar's office and first thing, she asked for my social security number.  I was taken aback by this and asked what for? I got informed that that was my student ID number.  So, confused, I gave it to her and she clickety clicked on her terminal and finally said I was never a student there.  I suddenly got a rush of brains to the head and realized I had attended before they went to SSNs for student IDs and gave her my 6-digit "real" student number (which I still remember offhand --needed it for everything back then.)  I popped right up on her screen and I got my records toot sweet.

Terry

ETA REF ("toot sweet"):
https://grammarist.com/phrase/toot-sweet/