Supplier Scam and Fraud Alert

The University of California, San Diego has experienced an increase in the number of reported fraudulent emails being sent to our suppliers by individuals posing as UC San Diego employees, specifically Chief Procurement Officer Ted Johnson.

The perpetrators of this scheme are requesting quotes in a manner that does not align with UC San Diego processes. Indications of fraudulent emails include incorrect domain names in the email address, poorly written emails with grammatical errors, and a request to open a line of credit on behalf of the university. 

Ensure that you are doing business with an authorized University of California, San Diego employee

Do not ship goods or provide services to the university without first receiving a valid purchase order 

Note that:

• UC San Diego emails will end with mail.ucsd.edu
• deliveries to personal residences are generally not allowed
• most purchases go through the campus eProcurement site, Oracle, and will generate a Purchase Order
• when accepting a payment method other than cash, proper identification should be obtained prior to completion of a sale
• UC San Diego cannot be responsible for fraudulent orders 
• if orders were accidentally shipped as a result a fraudulent scheme, report it to your local police department

If there are any doubts regarding the legitimacy of a purchase or quote request, contact Strategic Procurement at 858-534-9494 or pohelp@ucsd.edu.

Additional information regarding purchase order fraud can be found on the FBI website (search FBI.gov).