The University of Arizonaβs journalism school has issued a fraud alert after multiple reports of a duo going door to door in the Tucson-area falsely claiming to be raising money for a UA journalism internship.
Residents of Tucsonβs San Clemente neighborhood, south of East Broadway between South Alvernon Way and South Columbus Boulevard, said the man and woman, who appear to be in their 20s, targeted homes there in mid-December claiming they needed funds for a UA internship in England.
More recently, the Oro Valley Police Department received a report Sunday that a couple of similar description was making a similar pitch to residents in that community.
A victim in that case wrote a check for $67 to the duo, who said βthey were raising money for a school trip to London,β said Sgt. Carmen Trevizo, department spokeswoman.
The reports prompted the UA journalism school to post the fraud alert to its website Monday.
βNeighbors in Oro Valley and near Reid Park in midtown Tucson have encountered young people posing as students and soliciting money for an alleged UA journalism internship with the BBC in London,β the alert said.
βThe people are not affiliated with the School of Journalism, nor is the school conducting a fundraising effort to send students abroad.β
