ISP warns of scam calls

Idaho State Police is warning the public of a new phone scam after receiving multiple reports of suspicious calls from numbers that appear to be from ISP dispatch centers.

In one incident, "a parent answered back-to-back calls from a man claiming to be a medic and insinuated that their child was in distress," according to a release from ISP.

The caller had requested the child's name, and the parents reported hearing the sound of crying in the background, ISP said.

While the child was found to be safe at school, "the incident serves as a stark reminder of the manipulative tactics employed by scammers," ISP said.

To protect against spoofing, ISP advises against providing personal information over the phone, and to verify any calls claiming to be from a law enforcement agency by calling their publicly listed phone number. Hang up immediately if a call seems suspicious. 

Suspicious calls can be reported to local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.