Indiana State Police Warn of Hurricane Relief Scam Calls

As the country looks for ways to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and other parts of southeast Texas, as well as Louisiana, the Indiana State Police is encouraging residents to research the people asking for money before donating to the relief effort.

In a press release given to media outlets late last week, the Department noted they've received calls from citizens across the state saying they've received calls from individuals claiming to represent the Department asking for money to help victims of the storm.

The Department also said they are not collecting funds for the relief effort and have no plans to contact residents by phone to do so.

If you receive such a call, State Police are instructing residents to tell the caller to "send you information through the mail and you will review the information to make an informed decision. If the call is legitimate they should be able to send you the requested information."

It's unfortunate that there are people out there looking to make money off a tragedy such as Hurricane Harvey, however that seems to be the world we live in these days. Be sure to share this information with your family, especially those such as the elderly, so they can be aware of any potential scam tied to the relief efforts.

If you would like to donate to the effort, you can do so by texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross. You can also make a donation to the Red Cross during this Thursday's media-thon at their Evansville headquarters on Stockwell Road.