CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A pair of University of Illinois students were recently scammed out of more than $3,000 in a false employment scam, U of I Police reported on Monday.

Officials said the students responded to an email application for a research position with an “Illinois Community College” and were subsequently asked for money to pay for office supplies. They sent a total of $3,100 in several transactions and received checks for reimbursement, but their bank later deemed those checks to be fraudulent.

U of I Police are well familiar with scams of all types and maintain a log of scams that have been reported to them in the past. They also offer several tips on their website on how to spot and avoid a scam. Anyone who encounters the red flags U of I Police list are encouraged to hang up immediately and call police.

The 24-hour non-emergency number for the University of Illinois Police Department is 217-333-1216.