State police warn of scammers impersonating trooper

Indiana State Police are warning about a scam that tries to get you to pay money to a fake trooper to avoid going to jail.

According to the agency, phone calls that appear to be coming from the Indiana State Police headquarters in Indianapolis are showing up with the caller claiming to be an officer. The fake trooper then will tell you that you have outstanding drug charges pending in Texas. The scammer then threatens that you will be arrested if you don’t pay a fine immediately.

State police say that they will never call and demand a payment for any reason.

Troopers caution that phone scammers are persuasive, convincing, and technically savvy. They will play on your emotions and fears in order to get access to your personal information and their hands on your money.

You should never give out your personal information over the phone including your date of birth, social security number, or bank and credit card numbers.

You can help protect yourself by ignoring unsolicited phone calls and just hanging up if something doesn’t feel right.