State Police warn: Be alert for holiday season phone scams

PUTNAMVILLE -- Indiana State Police officials are warning the public about a phone scam that has been reported again recently in central Indiana, but happens annually all across the state.

Recently some elderly Hoosiers have been swindled out of money by out-of-country con artists who are calling from telephone numbers in the U.S. and Canada. 


The scam generally targets grandparents with the caller claiming he is a grandson and is in trouble, usually in Canada, and needs cash wired right away.

The "trouble" calls have ranged from a "grandson" being arrested to being hurt in a car crash and needing money for treatment. 

The caller is quick to ask grandparents not to call his or her mom or dad, so investigators warn would-be victims to always call relatives to check up on the situation, even when the caller urges you not to. 


Remember, State Police stress, never wire money without verifying the situation with relatives. In addition, never give out personal information like dates of birth, Social Security numbers or bank account numbers over the phone.

Victims have lost funds ranging from the hundreds to thousands of dollars to this scam, ISP officials note.

A simple suggestion is that anyone who gets a call from a number they don't recognize should let it go to voicemail. If the caller doesn't leave a message, it could be a scam call generated by a computerized automatic dialer set to dial thousands of numbers, looking for a victim who will answer and believe their phony story.

If you feel you've been a victim of such a scam, the FBI website for filing a complaint is www.ic3.gov, or you can call the State Police Post at Putnamville, 653-5272.