FBI Warns of ‘Work-From-Home’ scam targeting students

College students across the United States have been targeted to participate in work-from-home scams. Students have been receiving e-mails to their school accounts recruiting them for payroll and/or human resource positions with fictitious companies. The “position” simply requires the student to provide his/her bank account number to receive a deposit and then transfer a portion of the funds to another bank account. Unbeknownst to the student, the other account is involved in the scam that the student has now helped perpetrate. The funds the student receives and is directed elsewhere have been stolen by cyber criminals. Participating in the scam is a crime and could lead to the student’s bank account being closed due to fraudulent activity or federal charges.

Here’s how the scam works:

• The student is asked to provide his/her bank account credentials under the guise of setting up direct deposit for his/her pay.
• The scammers will add the student’s bank account to a victim employee’s direct deposit information to redirect the victim’s payroll deposit to the student’s account.
• The student will receive the payroll deposit from the victim’s employer in the victim’s name.
•  The student will receive the payroll deposit from the victim’s employer in the victim’s name.
• The student will be directed to withdraw funds from the account and send a portion of the deposit, via wire transfer, to other individuals involved in the scam.
• Consequences of Participating in the Scam:
• The student’s bank account will be identified by law enforcement as being involved in the fraud.
• The victim employee has his/her pay stolen by the scammers utilizing the student’s bank account.
• Without the student’s participation, the scam could not be perpetrated, so he/she facilitated the theft of the paycheck.
• The student could be arrested and prosecuted in federal court. A criminal record will stay with the student for the rest of his/her life and will have to be divulged on future job applications, which could prevent the student from beomg hired.
• The student’s bank account may be closed due to fraudulent activity and a report could be filed by the bank.
•  This could adversely affect the student’s credit record.
• Tips on how to Protect Yourself from this Scam:
•  If a job offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Never accept a job that requires the depositing of funds into your account and wiring them to different accounts. 
•  Look for poor use of the English language in e-mails such as incorrect grammar, capitalization, and tenses. Many of the scammers who send these messages are not native English speakers.
•  Never provide credentials of any kind such as bank account information, login names, passwords, or any other identifying information in response to a recruitment e-mail.
• Forward these e-mails to the university’s IT personnel and tell your friends to be on the lookout for the scam.

If you have been a victim of this scam, you may file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . Please reference this PSA number in your complaint.
The IC3 produced a PSA in May 2014 titled “Cyber-related Scams Targeting Universities, Employees, and Students” that mentioned this scam. The PSA can be viewed at.http://www.ic3.gov/media/2014/140505.aspx.

Source--FBI press release

Germanna Applied Engineering Club demos D.R.O.I.D. Diverse Remote-Operated Inspection Device

Thursday at GCC's Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania, the Germanna Community College Applied Engineering Club and Dr. Davyda Hammond demonstrated a robot the club built "with the Fukushuma power plant meltdown disaster in mind. It has the ability to navigate into areas too dangerous and restricting to send personnel. Two onboard cameras allow both a forward-tilting view and a 310-degree pan and tilt view. Being able to see what is going on is only part of the D.R.O.I.D's mission. It's able to manipulate instruments from 10 inches away with its probe, drop remote sensors and retrieve sensors." The device weighs about nine pounds and "no dimension is greater than 14.25 inches." Club members used an Xbox controller to operate it via a Wi-Fi connection with an indoor range of 230 feet and "virtually unlimited range when connected over the Internet." It uses a laser guidance system and has a top speed of 1.56 miles per hour.

The club and D.R.O.I.D. made a strong showing at the recent ASME Student Professional Development Conference at the University of Virginia, finishing second in student design for D.R.O.I.D., second in Web page design by Tristan Jones, second in Poster Presentation by Andrew Hallet and fourth for an oral presentation by Brian Keefer.

Germanna Today takes viewers on a tour of the new Science and Engineering Building and Information Commons

   Germanna Community College President David A. Sam and Communications and American Sign Language chair Aracelli Palomino take Germanna Today TV show viewers on a tour of the college's new Science and Engineering Building and Information Commons.
  CLICK HERE to watch Germanna Today program on the cutting-edge green building.

Video of opening of the new building:

It's never too late to learn new skills

From 2000 to 2009, enrollment of non-traditional students jumped more than 25 percent. NCES anticipates that number to swell another 23 percent between 2010 and 2019. The growth of students younger than that is expected to rise only 9 percent during that time period.

The trend is perhaps no more apparent than at Germanna.

BY KRISTIN DAVIS

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

James Powers started college 22 years ago. Then he stopped. There was marriage, children, his day job tracking satellites at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren.

Finally, in 2006, at the age of 50, Powers decided it was time to finish what he'd begun. He wanted to do it for himself. He also knows how important a college education is in today's competitive job market.

Powers enrolled in Germanna Community College, where he could take classes on campus in the evenings or online at his home in Spotsylvania County. He still worked fulltime. His children weren't yet teenagers.

But in May 2009, Powers earned an associate degree in general studies. He was 53. He earned a bachelor's in liberal studies online from the University of Oklahoma in December. Now he's working on his master's.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

New Science & Engineering Building and Information Commons a hit

Left to right, VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois, GCC Student Government Association President Morgen Jones, Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ann L. Heidig, Germanna President David A. Sam, GCC College Board Chairwoman Jill Johnson and U.S. Rep Rob Wittman help Germanna President David A. Sam cut the ribbon today at the Grand Opening of the college's Science & Engineering Building and Information Commons. A crowd of 250 looked on, then toured the high-tech green building.

Fredericksburg.com story and photos on the event.

Germanna students, faculty, staff, public to spend eight hours reading names of Iraq and Afghanistan casualities in Veterans' Day ceremony

Germanna Community College has joined a nationwide grass-roots effort to honor American service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past decade.
On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, campus and community volunteers at more than 170 college and universities across the nation will spend eight hours reading the names of the 6,200-plus casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, now called Operation New Dawn.
Each GCC campus (both at Locust Grove and Fredericksburg) participating in Remembrance Day National Roll Call will organize its own full day of reading of names. At the two Germanna campuses, the readings will begin at 8:45 a.m.
Lt. Col. (Ret) Brett Morris, the National Roll Call coordinator, said, “We wanted to rally campus communities across the nation to send a powerful message to the troops currently serving that their peers have not forgotten their sacrifices, or those of the fallen.”
The reading of the names will take nearly eight hours to complete as readers announce the names in chronological order.
For information about the Germanna roll call, and to volunteer to be a reader, Kathryn A. Denner at 540/423-9123.

New Germanna Community College class schedules online; 'Quake Break 2011' about to end

Students,

Thank you for your understanding as we prepare to re-open the College.

You may now view your schedule at www.germanna.edu/class_schedules/, but you cannot make changes at this time. You should view your schedule in SIS and online so that you can see the notes that describe the changes made to your schedule.

Due to the earthquake on Tuesday, we have had to move classes out of FAC I. We had to change a lot of classes so students could take classes on the Fredericksburg Campus. Some classes that were completely face to face are now hybrid—a combination of face-to-face classroom instruction and online instruction. A few of those classes have gone totally online. We have made some time changes but have tried to keep those changes minimal.

We will be offering training in online learning next Wednesday and Thursday at the Fredericksburg Campus in the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2). We strongly encourage all students who are new to online learning to attend one of these sessions. Sessions for online training will be Wednesday, August 31, and Thursday, Sept. 1 beginning at 9:00 AM and running every hour, on the hour, with the last session of the day beginning at 8:00 PM and ending at 9:00 PM. We’ll have signs posted on the campus to direct you to the session locations.

Student Services will be available at all college locations on August 31 and September 1 from 8:30 AM until 7PM. Student Services will be available on Friday, September 2 from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. Financial Aid, Counseling Services, the Tuition Office, and Admissions & Records will be available to assist you as Germanna reopens. At the Fredericksburg Campus location, please be advised that services will be available at the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2).

We are developing a new academic calendar. We have revised the dates you can drop a course and get a refund as well as the time you can withdraw from a course without academic penalty. You will be able to see the revised calendar online by noon on Monday. It will also be available at the counseling sessions.

We will communicate further on Monday about the specifics of your individual schedule changes.


Germanna Community College

FAQ on Germanna Community College earthquake status

Has Germanna closed for the semester?

No. On Aug. 30, Germanna Community College nursing and dental hygiene students will restart classes. All other students will resume classes on Sept. 6. Details will be available via email and on the Germanna Web site within 24 hours.(CLARIFICATION: Only nursing classes start on Aug. 30. Other classes being taken by nursing students start on Sept. 6.)
Check Blackboard, Germanna email and germanna.edu for the class schedule with new room assignments.

Is the Sept. 6 restart date (for non-nursing students) effective for online classes as well?


Yes.


Has the Fredericksburg Campus closed?

No. One building, FAC I, also known as the Dickinson Building, suffered structural damage that has put it out of commission for the semester. FAC II, the Workforce Building, was not damaged. Officials are working to move classes into FAC II. All classes will resume. Some students may have to go to classroom/online hybrid classes or to online classes to avoid moving to a classroom in another location. College officials are also considering space near the Fredericksburg Campus for classrooms.

Will the semester be extended? Will the final exams schedule change?

No and no.

Were other Germanna locations damaged in the quake?

The Locust Grove Campus and the Stafford Center are in good shape. The Daniel Center in Culpeper sustained minor damage to tiles in the auditorium ceiling and to an overhead projector. But classrooms at the Daniel Center were not affected. There was some damage to the George Washington Carver Center in Culpeper, where automotive program classes are to be held in the Fall. Culpeper County is determining how serious the damage is.

Will I be able to buy my text books before classes resume?

Yes. The book store will be operating out of the Locust Grove Campus and all of the text books are also available for order online. Those who had books waiting for pickup at the FAC I store will now have to drive to LGC to get them.
UPDATE: If you ordered books and have received an email advising you that your order is ready for pick up, you may pick up your order at the Locust Grove Campus bookstore beginning Wednesday, August 31st. We'll continue to post updates as we receive them.


What will the Fredericksburg Campus be like this semester?

FAC II will be cramped. There will be no room for lounging or studying, no food service and no cafeteria. Students will need to find other places to hang out, study and eat.

Volunteer at the 2011 Marine Corps Half Marathon

The Germanna Student Veteran’s Association needs your support. Volunteer at the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, representing Germanna Community College by passing out water to thirsty runners at Water Station No. 5.
Volunteers will need to commit from the hours of 6:00am to 10:30am on Sunday, May 15.
Directions for volunteer registration are as follows:
1. To register for the event, click on the following link:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/Register/Volunteer.htm
2. Click on the middle grey box that states “ Marine Corp Historic Half Marathon Join a Volunteer Group”
3. Group name is “Germanna Community College”
4. Password is “Dodgers10” make sure you capitalize the “D”
5. You will be asked to fill out the volunteer registration form and sent a confirmation email shortly after with further directions on the volunteering protocol
Students, staff, faculty, friends and family may join our volunteer group.
If you have any questions about volunteering or running the race, you may email GSVA club advisor Shelly Palomino at apalomino@germanna.edu or GSVA club president Meggen Sliger at mms2746@email.vccs.edu .
Volunteer Registration Deadline is April 27th!

Thanks for your support!
Germanna Student Veteran’s Association

Steve Watkins' new book "What Comes After" a powerful local story of child abuse. He will do a reading from the book and sign copies at GCC March 29

Steve Watkins, author of "What Comes After," brings his new book to GCC's Frederickburg Campus at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29.

Award-winning journalist and author Steve Watkins will do a reading from his new book, "What Comes After," and sign copies of the new work at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 29 at Sealy Auditorium at Germanna Community College's Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania off U.S. 17 near Cosner's Corner.
The event is free and open to the public. He'll also sign copies of the paperback version of his award-winning book 'Down Sand Mountain."
"What Comes After" will be available at Germanna before it goes on sale on the Internet and in stores on April 12.
Watkins, an English professor at the University of Mary Washington, explains that "What Comes After" is based on a local incident:
“In a way, the story of Iris Wight in 'What Comes After' started several years ago when I was sitting in a juvenile and domestic relations court during an emergency removal hearing, reading an autopsy report on a little 5-year-old boy who had been beaten to death. His name was Donny. He had more than 40 pronounced contusions, two broken ribs, a broken collar bone, and a skull fracture — all in various stages of healing, indicating that he had sustained the injuries over an extended period of time. In the autopsy photos he appeared emaciated, as if he’d been starved. He also had two severe traumas to his abdomen caused by what the medical examiner said were powerful external blows. The second, and most recent, was the one that killed him.

“None of us who worked on that case, which lasted two long years and led to terrible revelations about even more physical and sexual abuse of Donny and his siblings, have ever been the same. It was my job as a Court Appointed Special Advocate to investigate Donny’s story, and the stories of his brothers and sisters, and to write a narrative that would bring those children to life for the judge presiding over the case — and, in a way, to bring Donny back to life, if only in my report, and if only for a little while, and if only for the court. None of us doubted that the surviving children would be scarred forever by what happened to them, but thanks to the love and dedication of a lot of people involved in the case —therapists, attorneys, social workers, foster parents, teachers — Donny’s brothers and sisters ended up with families who loved them and promised to take care of them. They had a chance — at least a chance — to recover, and grow up safe, and live meaningful lives.

“When I read an article two years ago in our local newspaper about a girl who had been badly beaten by her cousin, on orders from her guardian aunt, I was struck by how few details there were about the girl — though that is usual in the case of underage victims, who are rarely identified to the public by police or prosecutors. The article didn’t say what her life had been like before she was beaten, or what happened to her after, except for this one sentence: ‘The girl is now in foster care.’ The more I thought about that girl and what happened to her, though, the more I felt drawn to tell her story, too — as I imagined it — for a wider audience than the court. I knew she wasn’t just another foster care kid, and she wasn’t just another victim. She must have had a life, and a story worth telling. All children do.”