Scams and Info - Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office

Information about Scams

These can take different forms of contact like phone calls, email, or text
Scammers pose as Social Security, IRS, Police, Medicare
Caller ID showing “Indiana State Police Post 52” (317) 899-8577, which is the phone number to the post.
Scammers identify themselves as police officers and state there is a warrant for their arrest and request financial restitution to take care of the warrant
Warrants are never paid over the phone

People with lack of family or social support, suffering the loss of a partner or spouse, or dealing with feelings of isolation are at the greatest risk to these scams
The signs of these scams are fake online profiles using borrowed profile pictures
They make contact via social media (Facebook, Instagram, dating sites, etc.)
These scams occur over a period of time
Scammer works to earn the victim’s trust
At some point the scammer will ask for money for some type of crisis (health emergency, business venture, or some other emergency)
The promise of marriage or a meetup never occurs

These scams imitate real voices with heightened emotions
They urge victims to act quickly
This takes the form of some type of Life threatening Emergency
They will say that they’ve been incarcerated in a foreign jail
They’ll use claims of a Gag Order and that they can’t talk about this with anyone
Can be prevented by keeping your social media accounts private
Hang up the phone immediately and call them back from a known phone contact.
Phone numbers and caller ID can be easily spoofed
Create a family code word

Used for quick payments as a means to avoid transaction fees with traditional bank charges
Cryptocurrency can be bought through an exchange, apps, websites, and cryptocurrency ATMs
This type of currency is stored in a digital wallet
Cryptocurrency accounts are NOT insured
Cryptocurrency value changes constantly and payments are NOT reversible

Only scammers will demand payment in Crypto
Scammers will make promises of big profits to victims
Never mix online dating with investment advice
Investment scams: “make lots of money” with “zero risk” often start on social media or online dating apps/sites
These scams can start with an unexpected text, email, or call. Crypt can be both the investment AND the payment

Block unwanted calls or text messages
Change your number if necessary
Never provide any information over the phone to an unknown caller regarding your personal identity, social security number, bank account(s), or credit card number(s)
Don’t fall for the pressure – take your time to think things through
Hang up the call
Turn your computer off
Talk to someone about it e.g., family, friend, or call law enforcement

If you paid with a credit card or bank, contact your bank or credit card company to report fraud
If you paid with a gift card, contact the company that issues the gift card to report fraud
If you sent a wire through your bank, contact your bank to report fraud and ask to reverse the wire transfer
If you mailed cash, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 to see if package can be intercepted.
If you paid with cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency is not reversible