INDIANA, USA — Heads up Hoosiers, state police are warning of a new scam hitting the state.
The scammer is calling residents from the Indiana State Police's General Headquarters number: 317-232-8248. The caller ID even shows the call is from "Indiana State Police."
Once on the phone with a potential victim, the scammer identifies themselves as an ISP Trooper.
They say the victim has drug charges pending in Texas and threaten them with arrest if a payment is not made.
ISP says that's not them. In a press release, the agency said it would never call and ask for, or demand, any sort of payment for any reason.
The department says it has received several reports about the scam.
"Phone scammers are persuasive, convincing and technically savvy," ISP said. "Scammers will often play on your emotions and fears in order to get your personal information and money."
How to protect yourself
Authorities say the best way to protect yourself is to ignore unsolicited calls from unknow callers.
If you do pick up, simply hang up if something doesn't seem right.
Be sure to talk with your loved ones about these scams as well and have a plan in place should a scammer call your or someone you love.
"Being aware of potential scams is a great first step in protecting yourself from falling victim to one," ISP said.
Think you've been a victim?
Indiana police urge anyone who feels as though they've been a victim of a phone scam to immediately report the incident to local authorities.
They also said to notify your bank so the payment can be stopped.
"As a reminder, never give out personal information such as date of birth, social security number, or bank/credit card numbers," police said.
ISP said scammers want to get their victims to make hasty decisions and may pressure them to pay money or ask for personal information.
"Be aware that transactions made by prepaid card or wire transfer are nearly impossible to recover once sent," police said.
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