Full Notification

The Shipshewana Police Department has received reports of suspicious telephone calls from people claiming to be from NIPSCO. During these calls the victim is informed that their electric service will be "shut off" within the next few minutes unless an alleged “unpaid fee” is wired to them immediately. If the victim agrees to pay the fee, he or she is then transferred to a second person who then provides the victim with instructions to wire the money to an unknown location. The callers in these cases used a Google number using voice over internet protocol (VoIP). One of the telephone numbers reported as being used by the callers was: (802)277-0997. This number will likely be changed as it becomes ineffective.

Always beware of callers soliciting personal information and/or money via wired transfers. If you suspect that you may be the victim of a telephone scam contact your local police department. The general public can also verify the legitimacy of suspicious calls by contacting the company directly using the Yellow Pages or contact information from a company website. Do not call telephone numbers provided by the callers.