Published: April 03, 2008 01:35 pm         

State health officials warn of fraudulent calls

INDIANAPOLIS — State health officials warn Hoosiers fraudulent calls are being made to families of deceased individuals seeking personal information to complete a death certificate.

“The Indiana State Department of Health will never make these types of phone calls,” Corey Ealy, director of the vital records division for the Indiana State Department of Health, said in a news release. “According to law, this information is collected by funeral directors who provide services to the family of the deceased.”

In this scam, the caller, identified as a representative from the state health department or the state public health office, says the agency needs personal identification to complete the death certificate. The caller then asks for information, including birth date, home address and the Social Security number of the deceased.

“If anyone receives a call like this, it is important not to release any information,” Ealy added. “The fraudulent calls started recently, and the Indiana State Department of Health has contacted the office of the attorney general.”

The attorney general and officials at the state health department will need specific information to pursue fraudulent activity. If one of these calls is received, officials say, it is important to get as much information as possible, including a telephone number and name of the individual.

The office of the attorney general can be contacted online at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral or by calling (800) 382-5516.