Local Scams

(04/2010) Attorney General Alerts Consumers to risk of phony health insurance scams

(02/2010) The Indiana Attorney General’s Unclaimed Property Program reunites Hoosiers with millions of dollars worth of unclaimed property each year. While unclaimed property locators or "finders" can help reunite you with unclaimed assets, they charge a fee. The Attorney General’s program is free and easy to use - you can search for and claim your money online at www.IndianaUnclaimed.com.

Unfortunately there are scammers posing as finders and state government agencies attempting to cash in on your hidden treasure. If you receive unsolicited correspondence requesting personal information or money, it may be a “phishing” expedition. Responding could make you vulnerable to identity theft.

To check the legitimacy of correspondence regarding unclaimed property, you may contact the Attorney General’s Unclaimed Property Division or you may report scams to the Consumer Protection Division at www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.

Haiti Recovery Scams (01/2010)
When considering making a donation to the Haiti earthquake relief effort, Attorney General Greg Zoeller reminds Hoosiers to be on guard for scams looking to prey on generous intentions.

Three things to remember to avoid Haiti recovery charity scams:
1.Some charitable organizations use names that are very similar to those of respected organizations and may not be charities at all. Make a donation by giving directly to a charity you know and trust.
2.Always pay by check, not cash, and don't feel pressured to make a donation immediately. Ask questions about the charity - legitimate organizations will mail you information about their programs.
3.Be cautious when giving online. Genuine charities do not send unsolicited emails and you should not click on links in spam messages soliciting donations.

For more information about charity scams or to file a complaint, please visit www.IndianaConsumer.com

Secret Shopper Scams (10/2009) Indianapolis - A new scam is conning even the most skeptical Hoosiers out of thousands of dollars by disguising itself as a legitimate way to make a few extra bucks. Anytime you're asked to wire money from a company after receiving a check should be a warning to people to be cautious...more details

Grandparent Scam (2009)Attorney General Greg Zoeller warns of a telephone scam targeting grandparents. The scam involves someone posing as a grandchild asking for money due to an arrest, car accident or another emergency or they pose as a police officer or lawyer requesting money be wired to help the grandchild. While this is not a new scam, the Attorney General’s Office has received recent complaints of this scam indicating its resurgence.

Lottery Scam (08/2009)-(Kokomo, IN) The Howard County Sheriff Department is warning area residents of a bogus lottery scam. Several households have received letters informing them that they have won the shoppers sweepstakes lottery. A fraudulent check is included in the mailing for $4,785. The “winners” are instructed to cash the check and transfer $2,875 via Western Union to a tax agent. Winners are then assured that after the required taxes are paid they will collect additional winnings, which are in excess of $100,000. People who respond to the telephone number provided on the mailings are informed that their name was selected at random because they shop at one of several major retailers. "The check is bogus, and once you wire the tax money it’s gone forever, and your on the hook for the bad check,” said Sheriff Marty Talbert. “It’s all a great big scam perpetrated during hard economic times when folks are vulnerable.” The mailings are from Fidelity Financial Links, Inc. of Toronto, Canada and the fraudulent check is issued from Genlabs, of Chino, California. “Genlabs is a legitimate company, and you can locate them on the internet. One of their company checks has been “washed” to make these fraudulent checks. I spoke to them by telephone this afternoon. They are receiving calls from people all across the country who have lost money,” said Sheriff Marty Talbert. “Remember, you never have to pay money to win money. Taxes can be deducted from your winnings.”

Lottery Scam (10/10/2009) The Ripley County Sheriff's Office received the following email- I'm writing to you in order to ask you about a letter I received in the mail today from Fidelity Financial links INC. Enclosed with the letter stating that I was one of 33 winners of the Shoppers Sweepstakes Lottery, it stated that I have won $125,000.00 US dollars. I was concerned about the check for the amount if $4,875.00 which is part of the money that they say that I am suppose to receive. The check didn't seem right because I saw something like this on the news, so I tried to get to their web site but it didn't show anything about International Claims Department. The address on the check is Fidelity Financial Links INC.,555 Main Street, Williams Ville,NY,14221. On the letter it has the address 483 Bay ST. Toronto On M5G-2N7 Canada. The office line that I am suppose to call is 1-416-732-8173, claim number: HP/JFT-0172, I am suppose to contact (Claims/Disbursement Agent) Mr. Jeff Nelson, that's his direct line. It also has Bryon MCLOUD (Promotion Manager) on the letter. The office hours are 9.00 am- 8.00pm ( Mon.-Fri.) and Saturday: 9.00am-5:00pm.

Property Deed Scan (06/2009)-What these unscrupulous criminals do is create a fraudulent deed from a sample document, which are easily obtained. Then they record the deed at the local recorder’s office in the county in which the property is located, and the true owner doesn’t have a clue. Then the criminals are able to get a mortgage against the property that they don’t even legally own. To protect yourself please visit http://www.propertyfraudalert.com/ripleyin.

809, 284, 876 Area Code Scams (05/2009)- Be cautious when responding to emails or telephone calls from the 809, 284 or 876 area codes. Consumers usually receive a message telling them to call a phone number with these area codes in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. If you make the return call, it will cause you to inadvertently incur high charges on your phone bill because you calling a phone number outside the U.S.

ATM Thefts-Click on this link for a slide show demonstrating the latest ATM Scam.

Credit Card Scam-You'll receive a phone call from Visa or Master Card stating they are from the Security and Fraud Department. They will say "your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase and I am calling to verify the purchase. They will continue to tell you the purchase and claim they will issue a credit to your account. Here's the IMPORTANT part- The called will then ask you to verify you have the card in your possession and ask you for the last 3 numbers on the back of your card. He will then use these three numbers to make a purchase. Never give out this information-tell the caller you will contact your credit card person yourself. Hang up and call immediately.

Email Scams- Phishing is an online type of identity theft. Criminals create fictitious emails in an attempt to get you to give up personal or financial account information. These fraudulent emails appear to be from trusted companies, financial institutions and even government agencies.

* An email includes scare tactics that lead you to believe clicking on a website link is vital to your continued access to your financial accounts or other services.

* There is a request for sensitive information such as your password, PIN number, social security Number or account number. A legitimate company will never ask you for this via email.

* The email message may contain misspelled words, poor grammar, or strange formatting.

If you receive a Phishing email: Contact the institution the email claims to represent by phone. Do not respond to the suspected email or got to any referenced website within the email. If you visit these types of sites, "spyware" software can automatically be installed on your pc without your knowledge, and personal information can then easily be stolen.