Campus Safety 

Special Property Checks 

Winter Break Service: DPS offers Special Property Checks during the winter break for residents in the Penn patrol zone.
Program Details: DPS officers check the exterior of registered properties for signs of safety or security breaches.
Free Service: This program is free and available to all residents in the Penn patrol zone (30th Street to 43rd Street, Baltimore Avenue to Market Street).

Walking Escort Program 

Service Overview: Uniformed Allied Universal Public Safety Officers provide free walking escorts 24/7, 365 days a year.
Extended Coverage: Escort services extend west to 50th Street and north/south from Spring Garden to Woodland Avenue (10 AM – 3 AM) via the University District Ambassador Program.
Open to All: Anyone in our community, regardless of Penn affiliation, can use this service.

📍 Request a Walking Escort: 

• Ask any Public Safety Officer on patrol or inside a building. 
• Call 215-898-WALK (9255) or 511 from any campus phone. 
• Use building and blue-light emergency phones located on and off Penn’s campus. 

🚶 Special Walk Backs (Reading Days & Finals):

• Location: Van Pelt Library
• Dates: December 13 – December 22, 2022
• Hours: 10:00 PM – 3:00 AM
• Process: A Public Safety Officer at the “Split Button” on Locust Walk will enter Van Pelt every 30 minutes to offer escorts.

Theft and Fraud Alert 

🚨 Package Theft Prevention:

• Arrange to be home for deliveries or have them sent to a secure location.

🚘 Theft of Occupied Vehicles (Carjacking):

• Be extra cautious when entering or exiting your vehicle.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Be wary of double-parked cars or faked car accidents.

🚶 Pedestrian Safety:

• Recent incidents of juvenile harassment and robberies have been reported.
• Stay alert and avoid walking alone.
• Call Penn Police if you notice suspicious behavior.

📱 Phone and Email Fraud:

• Fraud attempts increase during major shopping seasons.
• Reminder: Legitimate businesses never request account details or payments via phone or email.
• Phishing Emails: Be cautious—malicious and misleading emails are the #1 method for cybercriminals.
• Report fraud immediately: Even if unsure, please call us immediately at 215-573-3333 if you think you may have experienced such an encounter.

One Step Ahead: Website Spoofing 

The Office of Information Security (OIS) has warned about phishing scams in the past, with phishing messages transporting you to fake webpages that are designed to trick you into sharing your login credentials, banking access, or other sensitive information. 

🔍 What is Website Spoofing?

• Website “spoofing” occurs when hackers copy elements of a legitimate website, such as logos, portions of the URL or domain, language, images, fields, etc., to lure you into: 
  • Clicking on links of products or tracking an order. Such links may carry malware. 
  • Entering your username and password. 
  • Sharing sensitive information like social security numbers, home addresses, etc. 
  • Providing credit card or banking information, including full name, and billing address. 

Last month, an email phishing attack targeted member of the Penn community. The email embedded a link to a spoofed website which specifically mimicked elements of Penn’s identity in its fake webpages. 

⚠️ How to Protect Yourself:

• Check the URL: Ensure it starts with www.upenn.edu or https://upenn.edu.
• Look for slight variations: Pay attention to the URL. Hover over the URL in the email message or notification to examine whether it includes a legitimate domain like upenn.edu. A very similar spoofed URL may look legitimate, for example, upen.edu instead of upenn.edu. 
• Verify Sender Emails: Read the message carefully. Before reacting to an email message, examine the “From” address. Is this an appropriate message for the sender to send? Is it out of character for the person? Please refrain from clicking on the Send button. 
• Avoid Clicking Links in Texts: Avoid clicking on embedded links in text messages. Most legitimate entities will also include the full URL in a text message. 
• Report Suspicious Activity: Report suspicious websites, emails, or text messages to your school’s or center’s information technology support staff or contact the Office of Information Security (OIS) at security@isc.upenn.edu. 

📍 More Security Tips: One Step Ahead – Penn Information Security

Keep in Mind… 

While it is never the fault of the victim/survivor of a crime, there are specific patterns of criminal activity that we are mindful of at all times. Consider these steps you can take to empower and protect yourself as you travel near and far: 

🔹 Awareness:

• Stay alert and watch for individuals following you.
• Avoid cell phone distractions while shopping.
• Familiarize yourself with your surroundings (location, garages, parking lots, etc.)  
• If stranger aggressively asked for money, do not engage—walk away to a safe place.
• If followed, head toward a well-lit, populated area.

🛍️ Shopping Safety:

• Carry minimal cash.
• Keep purses close to your body; wallets in inside pockets.
• Shop with a friend or family member.

🚗 Vehicle Safety:

• Have your keys ready when approaching your car.
• Store packages out of sight in the trunk.
• Lock doors immediately upon entering your vehicle.

Bias Incident Reporting Form 

In addition to the above resources, the Bias Incident Reporting Form is available to any member of the Penn community who has experienced discrimination, bias, or harassment of any kind. This form should not be used to report emergencies or urgent incidents.