Campus Safety reported that a student driving near Biola Avenue and Mansa Drive was approached around 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 by a man who asked for a ride to La Mirada United Methodist Church on Rosecrans and Santa Gertrudes Avenues. The man explained that he had inherited a large sum of money and wanted to distribute it to local churches, with the student’s help. Upon arriving at the church, a second man approached them, according to the report.

The men told the student that in order to allow the student to help them distribute the money, he had to prove they could trust him. To establish trust, they asked the student to withdraw $3,000 from his personal bank account and turn it over to them. The student complied, according to the Crime Report Campus Safety sent out Wednesday night.

After handing over the $3,000, the student was asked to further prove his trustworthiness by driving around the block while the men held his money. He did so, but when he returned, the two men were gone with his $3,000.

The email sent to students on Wednesday, Feb. 29 by Campus Safety said that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is handling the case.

“I just advise students to back out of anything questionable. Don’t be fooled. [Situations] like this have happened before,” said Campus Safety chief John Ojeisekhoba.