ELGIN, Ill. — A telephone scam where the caller utilizes a fake caller ID number purporting to be from the Illinois State Police is circulating around the state, ISP officials warned Friday, Feb. 20.
Several individuals have reported receiving automated messages advising them they are under criminal investigation and requesting they send $600. The voice in the automated message appears to be a male with a foreign accent.
The phone number associated with the calls has been altered to appear as a legitimate state police telephone number of (847) 608-3200, in a practice known as “caller ID spoofing, according to police. An ISP spokesman stressed that these calls are not coming from the department and that residents should be wary of any call soliciting money regardless of the phone number the call is made from.
In addition, the state police do not conduct telephone solicitation for funds and would never ask residents to send money for any reason, the spokesman added. Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by the scam is asked to call ISP at (847) 294-4400. More information on current telephone scams can be found at the Illinois Attorney General’s Website.
