Scam alert
Licensing Agency Caller Says Your License Is at Risk? Hang Up
Posted
Indiana · in.gov · Arrives by a phone call
The short answer
A caller who says your professional license is at risk and asks for your Social Security number, financial details or an immediate payment is a scammer, even if caller ID shows the licensing agency's number. On October 23, 2026, Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita warned that callers were posing as Indiana Professional Licensing Agency staff using a spoofed phone number. The state said the agency will never ask for that information over the phone this way, threaten license suspension or demand immediate payment. Hang up and contact the agency yourself.
What is happening
On October 23, 2026, Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita warned of an active phone scam in which callers impersonate Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) staff, using a spoofed phone number, to get personal information, WLFI and the Daily Journal reported. The state said PLA will never request personal information such as Social Security numbers over the phone in this manner, and will not threaten license suspension or legal action or demand immediate payment. WLFI described the scam as targeting licensed professionals, and the state asked license holders to share the warning with colleagues.
How to recognize it
- A call appears to come from a licensing agency number but sounds threatening or urgent.
- The caller says your professional license is at risk unless you act right away.
- You are asked for your Social Security number, financial details or account information over the phone.
- The caller threatens license suspension or legal action, or wants a payment immediately.
What to do instead
- Do not give the caller any personal information. Hang up.
- Contact your licensing agency directly, using the phone number on its official website. In Indiana, the official contact information is at in.gov/pla.
- In Indiana, report a suspected scam to the Office of the Attorney General online or at 1-800-382-5516.
- Tell colleagues and other license holders about the call.
- If you want to tell someone, the rule is: hang up on a caller who threatens your license, then call the agency yourself.
If it already happened
Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.
- These calls can show a real agency number, so believing them is easy.
- If you shared your Social Security number, make a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
- If you shared bank or card details, call your bank or card company on the number on your card.
- Report the call to your state attorney general and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Common questions
- Caller ID showed the licensing agency's number. Does that make the call real?
- No. Indiana officials said these callers use a spoofed phone number. Another alert on this site, A Real Government Number on Caller ID Proves Nothing, explains why.
- Would a real licensing agency threaten my license over the phone?
- Indiana's governor said the Professional Licensing Agency will never threaten to suspend your license or demand immediate payment over the phone. If a call worries you, contact the agency yourself using the number on its official website.
Practice this safely
Practice hanging up on an official-sounding caller who threatens your license, then calling the agency on a number you look up.
Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.
Tell someone
Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.
Licensing Agency Caller Says Your License Is at Risk? Hang Up A caller who says your professional license is at risk and asks for your Social Security number, financial details or an immediate payment is a scammer, even if caller ID shows the licensing agency's number. On October 23, 2026, Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita warned that callers were posing as Indiana Professional Licensing Agency staff using a spoofed phone number. The state said the agency will never ask for that information over the phone this way, threaten license suspension or demand immediate payment. Hang up and contact the agency yourself. Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/professional-license-agency-impersonation-call-scam
Where this comes from
These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.
- State of Indiana: Gov. Braun, Attorney General Rokita Urge Hoosiers to Beware of Impersonation Scam as Callers Pose as IPLA Staff (October 23, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
in.gov
- WLFI: Indiana's Governor and Attorney General Warn of Phone Scam (October 23, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
wlfi.com
- Daily Journal: Braun, Rokita warn Hoosiers of scam calls impersonating Professional Licensing Agency (October 23, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
dailyjournal.net
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
The full guide on this
More recent alerts
This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.