The Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post recently received a complaint from a resident advising of what appears to be an ongoing scam solicited via Facebook. This scam involves the offering of a “Child Safety Kit” by clicking on a link provided in the Facebook post.
The resident stated that the provided link to receive the “Child Safety Kit” asks the requestor to submit personal information, including name, address, and phone number, information which is then followed up by a phone call wherein the scammer requests to set up an in-home visit to further the transaction.
The resident reports having received two phone calls from two very persistent males requesting to come to her home and be allowed to load an app onto her phone as part of their “Child Safety Kit” service. She stated the callers were very persistent on setting up an appointment, and they falsely claimed they work directly with the Indiana State Police. She was never provided with name or a company name.
This scam has apparently been ongoing for quite some time, and was even reported by the Louisville-based WDRB news channel in December 2019, wherein an Evansville woman was victimized.
The Indiana State Police reminds all Hoosiers that scam artists are pervasive across the internet and all social media platforms. Scammers’ methods and tactics are primarily intrusive to your personal and financial information, but as noted in this instance, they may often resort to invading your personal space as well. Luckily this resident was on the alert and did not fall prey to these scammers’ tactics.
This complaint reported to the State Police is full of red flags, and luckily this local resident did not fall prey to these scammers’ tactics. You can protect yourself by:
- ALWAYS considering any unsolicited internet/social media transaction with a “buyer beware”
- NEVER providing personal or financial information to an unknown source, whether it be on the internet, by email, or by phone.
- NEVER inviting or allowing a stranger into your home, especially an unsolicited sales person. Thieves commonly use this as a way to case your home for future burglary.
- Don’t be INTIMIDATED by a scammer’s pervasiveness. Delete the internet conversation or just hang up the phone when something doesn’t feel right.
- If you feel you have been victimized by a scammer, suspicious or threatening activity should be reported to your local law enforcement immediately.