Students who make GWorld purchases are now able to view itemized card histories online, after University administrators changed its technology following a string of fraudulent GWorld purchases last month.
Six students reported $1,250 total in fraudulent GWorld charges on their cards in October, but were not able to see where the charges had been made on their GWorld portals.
After the cases were reported, the University added the ability to view itemized spending histories online, a feature Ed Schonfeld, senior associate vice president of administration, said has been available since mid-October.
Before the switch to GWorld 2.0, students were able to see their purchases itemized, but when the University converted to the new technology, that feature disappeared.
The inclusion of itemized reporting will make it easier to review transaction histories and to identify if, and where, fraudulent purchases were made, Schonfeld said.
A University Police Department investigator was able to determine the origin of the fraudulent charges that sparked the software change.
UPD investigator Matt Robinson discovered that the six fraudulent charges had been made by an employee at an area CVS, who wrote down the GWorld numbers on student’s cards and used the numbers to purchase gift cards from the store. The fraudulent charges were made at the CVS on E Street near Virginia Avenue.
The purchases were made between Oct. 2 and Oct. 5, Robinson said.
The CVS employee was fired as a result of the investigation, UPD Chief Kevin Hay said. A manager at the CVS could not be reached for comment.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Curtis Davis, a sophomore who had $204.94 taken from his GWorld account in one of the cases. “It’s unfortunate that people decided to do that and with college kids’ money. I’m glad UPD was able to figure out what happened and return our funds,” he added.
Despite the new GWorld tracking system, Schonfeld emphasized the importance of staying alert to potential fraud.
“Cardholders should protect their card like any credit card and should frequently check their transactions online,” he said.
