According to University Police, at least two Lion Cards have been reported stolen to campus police and a third to the Mane Card Office during a three-week span.
In a notice to faculty and staff, Sgt. Kyle Lowe said two of the thefts occurred in the cafeteria during lunchtime.
Jason Bone, University police crime information officer, said some cards had been taken from the recreation center in the past also. Students can get their money back if they follow proper procedures, he said.
“Students can be refunded their money if they file a police report with UPD,” he said. “Once we have the police report, we begin investigating it just like we would a credit card theft.”
Bone also said the theft of the student-use cards is a real crime.
“It holds the same penalties criminally as credit card fraud,” he said. “The punishment for that depends on how much was taken.”
Possession or use of a Lion Card by anyone other than the owner of the card is a direct violation of University policy as well, according to the notice issued by Lowe. He also advised students to be aware of where their cards were and using good judgment.
Bone agreed.
“My recommendations to keep this from happening are the simple ones: Keep it with you at all times, or locked up in a safe place. For someone to actually get money from your card they have to have the card. If you keep the card with you, you won’t have that problem,” he said.
Bone also suggested students reporting their missing cards as soon as possible and reporting suspicious activity.
“If you see someone buying 12 drinks out of a machine, something is probably not right,” he said.
The majority of the credit card fraud involved vending machine usage where it is easier to use a card despite the photograph of the owner, Bone said.
Students who know anyone in possession of stolen cards or witnessing suspicious activity are asked to contact the University Police at 903-886-5868.