"Professional Licensing Agency calling. There's an open complaint on your electrical license. If the fine isn't resolved by 5 pm, your license is suspended and every job you pull a permit on stops. I need to verify your Social Security number before we go further."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Marcus (made up) runs Brambleworth Electric (a made-up two-truck shop) outside Indianapolis. He has a panel upgrade half done, a crew of three, and an MCA debit every weekday whether the trucks roll or not.
Tuesday, 2:40 pm He's in a crawl space when the phone buzzes. He checks the screen before he answers, because he's been burned by spam before. The caller ID shows a state number. Later he checks: it really is the licensing agency's number.
The woman on the line is calm and fast. She has his name, his license number, and the city on his business filing. All of it is public, but in the moment it sounds like a file. She says a homeowner complaint turned into a fine, and the fine is overdue. She can take care of it by phone today. Otherwise his license goes inactive at 5.
No license, no permits. No permits, no jobs. The daily debit still hits.
Then she asks for his Social Security number "to confirm identity," and a card number for the fine.
That's the turn. Marcus has never had a complaint, and every notice about his license has come in writing.
He says he'll call back. She warns that hanging up closes the case against him. He hangs up anyway, opens the state's license lookup himself, and finds his license active, with no discipline on it.
On Friday, October 23, 2026, Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita warned about this exact call: scammers posing as Professional Licensing Agency staff, spoofing the agency's real number, and trying to get personal information. The state says the agency will never ask for your Social Security number over the phone this way, never threaten suspension, and never demand immediate payment (State of Indiana). The FTC has warned that versions of this scam target contractors, beauticians, lawyers and other licensed workers, because their names and license numbers are public (FTC).
Red flags
- A call that threatens your license unless you act today. Indiana says its licensing agency won't do that by phone (State of Indiana).
- Caller ID showing the real agency number. Spoofing is part of the scam, so the number proves nothing (State of Indiana).
- Questions about your Social Security number, bank account, or card "to verify you" (State of Indiana).
- Pressure to pay a fine right now by wire, gift card, crypto, cash, or payment app. The FTC says only scammers demand that (FTC).
- A threat that hanging up will make it worse. In a notice to nurses, Indiana's licensing agency said discipline comes only after a formal process, with notices and orders served in writing (Indiana PLA).
What to do
Hang up. Don't call back the number that called you, even if it looks official.
Check your license yourself. Go to your state licensing board's own website, look up your license, and call the board at the number listed there. In Indiana, that's the agency's site, and its free license search and verify tool shows your status.
Don't give out your Social Security number, bank details, or card number to someone who called you.
Already paid or shared info? Call your bank or card issuer now and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. If you gave your Social Security number, use the FTC's identity theft site to lock things down (FTC).
Report it. Tell your licensing board, so it can warn other license holders. File a report with the FTC, and with your state attorney general. In Indiana, the AG's office takes complaints online or at 1-800-382-5516 (State of Indiana).
Then text your trade group chat. Indiana asks license holders to share the warning with colleagues.
Marcus finished the panel upgrade by 6. His license was still active at 5:01.
Sources
- State of Indiana, Gov. Braun and AG Rokita warn of callers posing as licensing agency staff (Oct. 23, 2026)
- Indiana PLA and State Board of Nursing notice to nurses on licensing scam calls (November 2024)
- Indiana PLA free license search and verify
- FTC, scams targeting licensed professionals
- FTC, report fraud
- FTC, identity theft help
