{
  "id": "2025-01-16-nyu-astor-place-robbery",
  "slug": "nyu-astor-place-robbery-2025-01-16",
  "institution": {
    "name": "New York University",
    "shortName": "NYU",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "NYU Alert / Clery Campus Notice",
    "enrollment": 60000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-01-16",
    "type": "fraud",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Mobile payment scam near Astor Place",
    "headlinePublic": "Mobile payment scam near Astor Place",
    "summary": "NYU Campus Safety [issued a Safety Advisory](https://t.e2ma.net/webview/dnuklj/99e5569b755ff91b27c230c4f71aab1f) on January 16, 2025 about a mobile payment / charity-donation scam near Broadway between Astor Place and West 4th Street, following up on the January 11 Clery notice.",
    "outcome": "Additional reports of an ongoing scam; at least one encounter resulted in a robbery. Advisory to the community."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Safety Advisory - January 16, 2025\n\nDate: January 16, 2025\nTo: The NYU Community\nFrom: NYU Department of Campus Safety\nRe: Safety Advisory - Mobile Payment App/Charity Donation Scam/Robbery\n\nFollowing up on the Clery Campus Notice from January 11, 2025, the NYU Department of Campus Safety has received additional reports of an ongoing mobile pay app/charity donation scam near NYU buildings in Manhattan—primarily near and around Broadway, between Astor Place and West 4th Street. At least one of these encounters resulted in a student being robbed.\n\nThese reports have the following in common:\n\nTwo individuals conducting the scam approach the victim asking for donations—sometimes for a charity, or to help with an ill family member.\nWhile standing with the two individuals, some victims reported a third individual may approach from behind, creating a triangular barrier to prevent the victim from leaving.\nThere have been occasions where the individuals offer bags of candy in exchange for donations.\nIf the victim declines to donate cash, the individuals may threaten the victim to give money electronically through a mobile pay app or by withdrawing cash from an ATM.\nThere have been reports of individuals requesting to break a large bill, or make change, that is later determined to be counterfeit.\n\nGiven this pattern of incidents, we recommend paying additional attention to your surroundings as you navigate campus and nearby areas. We also suggest you:\n\nPolitely decline if asked to donate money on the street and continue walking. You can always make a donation later at your convenience. \nEnable the two-factor and/or biometric authentication for mobile payment apps on your phone.\nDisable the automatic payment/receipt function for your mobile payment apps.\nDecouple mobile payment apps from smart watches.\nRequest assistance from others or seek out an open NYU facility that has Campus Safety Officers posted like the University’s green light buildings if you feel that you are in danger.\n\nOur team is here to support you. If you experience an incident like this or have any information that could aid in the review, please contact the NYPD at 911 and NYU Campus Safety at (212) 998-2222 or via text through the Safe NYU app.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://t.e2ma.net/webview/dnuklj/99e5569b755ff91b27c230c4f71aab1f",
      "sourceDescription": "Safety Advisory - January 16, 2025",
      "annotations": [
        "seq 1 email. Independent dual-curl this session HTML 28884 bytes sha256 3978ddd2cc96bc72 both passes. sha256 9cc6a29bae05b6493dda15bd101bb7951bf847d80d2d58c389e9cf26788fffa5. NBSPs preserved where present. Suspect photographs not transcribed.",
        "Product boundary: NYU Clery Campus Notice or Safety Advisory through safety tips. Subscribe bar, social-icon alts, spacer dots, emblem alt, and Campus Safety/Transportation/FAQ nav omitted.",
        "Distinct product from 2025-01-11-nyu-astor-place-robbery: January 16 Safety Advisory about an ongoing scam pattern vs January 11 Clery robbery at Raising Cane's, 20 Astor Place. The advisory follows up on that notice and is not the same first-burst."
      ],
      "characterCount": 2242
    }
  ],
  "context": "NYU posts Clery Campus Notices and Safety Advisories on its [safety-alerts listing](https://www.nyu.edu/life/safety-health-wellness/campus-safety/safety-alerts.html). Official product: the [Emma webview](https://t.e2ma.net/webview/dnuklj/99e5569b755ff91b27c230c4f71aab1f).",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Official Emma product recovered from the NYU listing: Safety Advisory - January 16, 2025."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Safety Advisory - January 16, 2025",
      "url": "https://t.e2ma.net/webview/dnuklj/99e5569b755ff91b27c230c4f71aab1f",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-09-21",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN not attempted after 500 flap at 07:36Z"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "private-r1",
    "new-york",
    "nyu",
    "clery",
    "fraud"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-09-21",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-09-21",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}