Suppliers at University of California campuses have been experiencing fraudulent purchase order activity. These involve purchase orders and requests for quotes that purport to originate from the University, but are in fact fraudulent. Common traits of these fraudulent emails include:

• Poorly written emails with grammatical errors
• Sender’s email address or website link are not authentic to the university
• Shipment to non-university address is requested
• A request to open a line of credit on behalf of the university

Rarely, if ever, will UCSF initiate a purchase by requesting a quote through email without providing:

• A valid UCSF purchase order
• A UCSF delivery location
• A UCSF department contact name and phone number

UCSF values the partnership and important role our suppliers play in the success of the University and we are actively working with law enforcement to investigate any illegal activity. Information regarding purchase fraud can be found on the FBI website. If you wish to file a formal complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), you can do so here.