You could receive a call that appears to come from Idaho State Police, but officials warn it might be a scam designed to steal your personal information or money.
The Idaho State Police issued an alert about scammers spoofing ISP phone numbers to make calls appear as if they’re coming from official dispatch centers. The agency has received multiple reports of suspicious calls in recent days.
In one case, a parent received back-to-back calls from a man claiming to be a medic who said their child was in distress. The caller requested the child’s name while sounds of crying played in the background. The child was safe at school.
“These calls are not coming from the Idaho State Police. This scam is designed to play on the hearts of potential victims and undermines trust in first responders,” said Capt. Tyler Jussel of the ISP Regional Communications Center. “By spoofing first responders and dispatch centers, these scammers try to gain credibility in their deception. We want the public to know that ISP will never call in this manner.”
Police recommend several steps to protect against spoofing scams:
Don’t provide personal information such as names, addresses or account details over the phone unless you’re certain who is calling.
Hang up immediately if a call seems suspicious.
Verify before trusting by hanging up and calling the agency back directly using their publicly listed phone number if someone claims to be law enforcement.
ISP said scammers rely on fear and urgency to pressure victims into quick decisions. Anyone who receives a suspicious call should hang up and report it to local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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