INDIANAPOLIS — State police are issuing an alert about a text message scam involving the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Several Hoosiers have filed complaints with police about the potential scam after receiving a message that claims to be from the DWD, informing the recipient of unclaimed money they have with the state. The message instructs the recipient to click a link, which goes to a website that asks for personal and confidential information.
Detectives with ISP investigated the complaints and were told by the DWD that the department will not send a text or email message asking recipients to click a link to get benefits or other types of payment.
"Clicking on the link and providing personal information will give fraudsters the ability to access personal accounts or sell personal information on the dark web," state police wrote in a release.
ISP said the link in the fraudulent text messages is for a URL containing "uplink-indiana" in the address. The Department of Workforce Development's official website is IN.gov/DWD.
Hoosiers can report unemployment fraud on the DWD's website.
Last year, the DWD warned of scammers who were posing as the agency to gather information from recipients. That scam asked recipients to click a link to verify their identity to continue to receive benefits.
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State police detectives recommend ignoring and deleting unsolicited text or email requests for information from unknown senders. Detectives say suspicious messages can be researched on the Better Business Bureau's "Scam Tracker" website.
"You should NEVER provide any information to an unknown sender about your personal identity, social security number, bank account(s), or credit card number(s). Be extra cautious about clicking any links that are sent to you by an unknown person," state police said.