DePaul University is urging female students to be cautious while providing their personal contact details to unknown individuals.
Two safety alert has been issued after several female students were approached by men for their phone numbers with the sole purpose of posting them online.
There have been several other cases of men "engaging in a conversation with female students with the explicit purpose of getting their phone numbers," the university said, Chicago Tribune reports.
DePaul spokeswoman Carol Hughes said that the phone numbers have been posted on a members-only website. She said that none of these men were DePaul students and they apparently worked for the website.
The first alert was issued on Sept. 8 after a male in a silver SUV approached a female student near the corner of Webster and Racine and began flirting with her. The male wouldn't leave until she provided her number. He then gave her an unwanted hug.
In another instance, DePaul freshman Brooke Riewer was cornered by one of the men Thursday. The man apparently said that his cell phone was low on battery and required her mobile to text a message.
"He made me take his number and text him ... he said his phone was dead," Riewer said.
The man claimed to be the head of a dating website and began touching her inappropriately on her back and shoulder during the encounter.
"He touched my face and my back and tried to kiss me. It was broad daylight in the quad," Riewer said, nbc Chicago reports. "Eventually he was like, 'Are you a good kisser?' It got really weird and uncomfortable for me."
Riewer immediately approached campus security, who determinesd in due course of time that no actual crime was committed.
Hughes said that Chicago Police also released another man related to another similar incident by saying that no crime had been committed. However, university's Public Safety officers issued a no trespassing order to the man to stay off the campus.
DePaul officials encourage any student who feels like she's being harassed on campus to move to a safer place quickly and call Public Safety at 773-325-7777 on the Lincoln Park campus or 312-362-8400 on the Loop campus.
