Beware of Scam Callers Collecting for Hurricane Harvey Victims

Indiana- Often times, large natural disasters bring out the giving, caring side of people but unfortunately it also brings out nefarious characters who try to take advantage of those who would like to help.

The Indiana State Police has been contacted by concerned citizens saying they have received telephone calls from individuals identifying themselves as State Police representatives. The caller said they are soliciting funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The persons that received these calls did not fall victim to these phone solicitors but instead did the correct thing and reported the incident.

The Indiana State Police is not soliciting funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and will not be contacting citizens by telephone requesting funds.

If you are contacted by anyone requesting payment or money for an event or situation, tell them to send you information through the mail and you will review the information to make an informed decision. If the call is legitimate they should be able to send you the requested information. Do your homework and make a well informed donation. Don’t fall victim while trying to help other victim’s.

As with most scams, the calls can be originating from cell phones or over the internet from all over the country or world. Tracking down this 21st century con artist is no easy task. As defined by TechTarget, caller ID spoofing is a technology that allows a caller to masquerade as someone else by falsifying the number that appears on the recipient’s Caller ID display. Just as email spoofing can make it appear that a message came from any email address the sender chooses, Caller ID Spoofing can make a call appear to come from any phone number the caller wishes, including the Indiana State Police.

The Indiana State Police feel that a well-informed public with a healthy dose of mistrust is the best defense in combating phone scammers and reminds everyone that these phone scams and cybercrimes are becoming commonplace. 

The Indiana State Police ask everyone to talk to their family about these phone scams and to have a plan in place should a scammer call you or someone you love.  Because phone scams have become nothing short of an epidemic, being aware of potential scams is a great first step in protecting yourself from falling victim to one.

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                                                                                                                   MYERS