Watch out for phone scammers portraying themselves as Indiana State Police

Phone scammers are portraying themselves as Indiana State Police to get to unsuspecting Hoosiers.

This is usually an annual problem for the ISP; however, this scam involves the use of the ISP General Headquarters phone number.

ISP Captain Ron Galaviz, chief public information officer, said the perpetrators use ISP’s caller ID, which shows “Indiana State Police” and the phone number “317-232-8248.”

If the call is answered, the scammer says they are an Indiana State Police trooper and that the person they’re calling has drug charges pending in Texas.  The caller then threaten the person with arrest if a payment is not made.

Galaviz released a statement saying, “The ISP would NEVER call and ask for or demand any sort of payment for any reason whatsoever.” He warned the scammers can be “persuasive, convincing, and technically savvy,” and that they can “play” on people’s emotions to learn information.

Galaviz recommends not answering unrecognized numbers and hanging up when an unexpected call feels off.

If you think you have been scammed, immediately report what happened to the police, then alert your bank so the payment can be stopped. Galaviz warned that it’s “nearly impossible” to recover prepaid card or wire transfer transactions.