The Indiana State Police (ISP) has been notified of several concerns from citizens reporting an apparent phone scam. ISP receives numerous reports of phone scams each year, but this particular scam involves using the ISP General Headquarters phone number.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is warning citizens to be aware of scammers who see the New Year as the perfect opportunity to prey on unsuspecting individuals looking to replenish funds after the holidays. Fraudulent grant offers are particularly pervasive,so HHS representatives have a few tips to keep in mind in order to protect yourself from tricksters.
First of all, no legitimate federal government employee would ever call to say you qualify or you’ve been approved for a grant you never applied for. Representatives say to look out for people who target individuals since all government grants involve an application process to carry out projects with a public purpose and are not intended for personal use. Continue reading
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal, be wary of their instructions. The Federal Trade Commission is warning people about a recent scam involving impostors threatening individuals with arrest in order to get money from them.
Consumer Education Specialist Bridget Small said that U.S. Marshals do a lot of things, they protect the federal courts, track down dangerous fugitives and transport thousands of prisoners. What they don’t do is make calls and threaten to arrest people or fine them for missing jury duty. Continue reading
The Indiana State Police are warning residents to be weary of people calling and posing as the IRS. A number of citizens in the northern Indiana have reported calls from individuals claiming to be an IRS representative, demanding money and threatening legal action. As the police work to stop the perpetration of these false calls, the IRS has provided a few tips to ensure your safety. Continue reading
With an increase in skimming devices being discovered at gas stations this year, AAA warns drivers to be extra cautious about paying at the pump. Unfortunately, this could happen to anybody; AAA Public Affairs Manager Greg Seiter had his card skimmed at a gas station on the south side of Indianapolis just a few weeks ago. Continue reading
NIPSCO and other electric and natural gas providers are working to keep their customers from falling victim to long-running scams. Officials say such activity typically picks up during the holiday season but occurs year-round.
The most common scam involves an unsolicited telephone call from an individual who claims to be a NIPSCO representative. He or she warns the customer’s service will be disconnected unless a payment is made within a short time frame, typically an hour or so as stated in the FINRA arbitration hearings document. Continue reading
Several Grovertown and Koontz Lake area residents and businesses have reported receiving scam telephone calls from someone claiming to be a NIPSCO representative. The caller advises service will be disconnected unless immediate payment is made. Continue reading
Tax refund fraud is predicted to soar again this year. The Internal Revenue Service expects it to reach $21 billion. Now that tax filing season is here, Hoosiers and taxpayers across the country are getting calls from scammers claiming to be with the IRS. Mandla Moyo with AARP Indiana says such scammers prey on people’s fears and count on the fact they will take an official-sounding telephone call seriously. Continue reading
