Scammers Using Affordable Care Act to Swindle Money

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act and scammers are making it even more confusing.

Scammers are exploiting the ACA as a way to fool you into sharing your personal information.

Here is how the scam works: a caller claims to be from the federal government. That “representative” will inform you that you’ve been selected to receive insurance cards through the new Affordable Care Act, but before you can receive the cards you must provide your bank’s routing number and your account number. Plus, they could ask for your Social Security number, Medicare ID or other personal information.

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Utility Scam Hitting Customers

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Utility customers in Indiana are the target of a new scam.

In the latest attempt to rob you of your hard-earned money, a consumer may receive a phone call from someone claiming to work for the utility company, with a fake number showing on the consumer’s caller ID. The caller will claim the customer has a delinquent bill, threaten to disconnect service and demand immediate payment, often with a prepaid debit card.

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Scammers Preying on Confusion Over Health Care Changes

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Scam artists are taking advantage of changes in health care and open enrollment for those on Medicare in an attempt to steal from senior citizens. Indiana Senior Medicare Patrol Program Director Nancy Stone says current Medicare beneficiaries should not be getting calls about signing up for health care plans.

“What we always tell them is to just hang up. Don’t give out any personal information. Medicare will never call you. ‘Cause that’s what they say – sometimes they say they’re from Medicare – they want to confirm their information,” said Stone.

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Scam Surfaces in SE Indiana; Local Officials Concerned

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A new scam has begun to surface in southeastern Indiana and officials are concerned it could move to our area. While the scam is by no means new, it has been successful for the scammers in other areas of the United States. The scam involves a phone call advertising the target that they have placed second or third in the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars, and are asked to wire money via Western Union to cover taxes and processing fees.

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Hang up on Robocalls

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A new scam is hitting the phone lines that promotes a safety alert system for older adults and diabetics.

When the spammer calls, they spoof a phone number so it looks like a local call on caller ID. A message will come over the phone that alerts you about your eligibility for an alert system, an upgrade, or that someone has purchased a system for you.

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Walorski, Attorney General’s Office Hold Fraud, Identity Theft Workshop in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski spoke with constituents regarding fraud yesterday.
Congresswoman Jackie Walorski spoke with constituents regarding fraud yesterday.
In an effort to update seniors on the latest scams and methods to protect their personal information from identity theft, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and Linda Gurgel, outreach services specialist for the Indiana Office of the Attorney General, hosted a fraud prevention workshop at Community Services of Starke County. The event, held as part of a district-wide tour to meet with senior groups and constituents in all 10 counties of the Second District, included presentations by Walorski and Gurgel on the most effective ways to protect oneself against fraud and identity theft.

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NIPSCO Customers Report Scam

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
NIPSCO customers have told the company that they have been receiving unsolicited phone calls from people claiming to be NIPSCO representatives when in fact the callers are scammers.

In this latest scam, the “NIPSCO representative” will threaten disconnection of the customer’s electric service if an immediate payment is not made in order to settle an overdue balance. The scammer directs the victim to purchase a prepaid debit card, specifically a “Green Dot Debit Card” and call back with a receipt and PIN. This allows the scammer to access the card’s funds.

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Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Warns of Employment Scam

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

If you’re looking for a job, be aware of an employment scam using newspaper ads to snare potential victims. Pulaski County Sheriff Mike Gayer says his office received a report from someone who responded to an ad in “The Herald Journal” in Monticello for a part-time property manager and got an email response from waynejack@outlook.com stating she had been hired and more information was needed. She then got a money order for a high dollar amount in the mail and was instructed to cash it, keep a little money for incidental expenses and send the rest to pay for some type of business expense. This scam used a Lafayette, Ind. address, according to Gayer. However, a search of the telephone number turned up numerous classified ads for an assistant construction manager in papers across the country. “Wayne Jackson” is the employer’s name in those ads. If you have any information or have been involved in a similar scam, please contact the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office at 574-946-3341.

Alliance Bank Warns Customers of Text Scam

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Customers of an area bank warned of  a text message scam. Alliance Bank advises several customers and non-customers have gotten messages stating their account has been deactivated and they need to call a telephone number. Alliance Bank officials stress this is a hoax and they will not request account information via text. Do not call the number in the message, as it is not affiliated with the bank. Please call your local Alliance Bank office if you have provided this information or if you have any questions.

Scam Swindles LaPorte Man Out Of $2500

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A LaPorte man is out $2500 after falling victim to a telephone scam. According to the report, a 63-year-old man told police that on July 17, he was contacted by man over the phone who identified himself as a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agent and told him that the agency had learned that he’d purchased drugs illegally over the internet and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

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Residents Warned of Telephone Scam

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
We’ve received word of a telephone scam targeting people in the WKVI listening area. Several local residents are receiving telephone calls from a number that says “not in use” on the caller ID. The number is (786) 358-6691 and is from Jamaica. The callers are asking for Medicare numbers and information. NEVER give this information or your Social Security, bank account or other sensitive data out over the telephone. If you receive such a telephone call, contact the authorities.

Scam Email Report Taken by LaPorte Police

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
LaPorte police warn you of an internet scam and to ignore this message if you get it.

A LaPorte man told police Wednesday that he received an email from a subject claiming to be with the U.S. Military. The person was requesting assistance in smuggling $780 million allegedly confiscated by Saddam Hussein into the United States. The email requested the victim’s personal banking information so that the money could be wired into his account.

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Another Telephone Scam Hits Northern Indiana

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Another telephone scam is hitting the area.

The victim in LaPorte told police that he got a phone call at work from a man who identified himself as “Alex Rodgers of the Texas State’s Attorney’s Office.” “Rodgers” told the victim that he had an outstanding loan of $1,789 and that he was going to be arrested. He was instructed to obtain Green Dot cards from Walmart or Kmart and, once those cards were obtained, to call the number the suspect gave him. The victim was to provide the PIN numbers on the cards so they could be redeemed for the amount.

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LaPorte City PD Investigate Scam

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The LaPorte City Police Department is investigating a scam.

A 59-year-old LaPorte man told police that he received a phone call from “Walter Lopez” and said he was calling on behalf of Publishers Clearinghouse. “Lopez” told the victim that he was the winner of a $250,000 cash prize and a new vehicle. In order to claim the prize, the victim was asked to obtain a PayPal card in the amount of $350 and call “Lopez” back with the card number. “Lopez” claimed this was a service fee.

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Local Residents Warned of Jury Duty Scam

Posted on Author WKVI

Be on alert for a scam that’s been out for several years and could happen to you.

This is the scam: A caller identifying himself or herself as an officer of the court will mention that you failed to report to jury duty and a warrant is out for your arrest.

The caller will tell you that in order to clear up this mistake you will need to provide some verification which includes your birth date, social security number and maybe even a credit card number.

Keep in mind that court officers do not call you to say you are truant or that you need to provide any information to clear up an alleged warrant. Court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone. They normally correspond with prospective jurors by mail.

If you receive this type of call, call your local Sheriff’s Department or your local FBI District Office. Police remind you to never give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.

Pulaski County Sheriff warns of possible scams

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer
Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer

If you get a phone call stating you’ve won $1 million, you may not want to quit your job just yet. Pulaski County Sheriff Mike Gayer says an area resident recently got such a call and was told he needed to send $1,500 to collect his winnings. Gayer says these scams are common and callers or written correspondence will actually use the name of a legitimate lottery or sweepstakes to further convince a potential victim.
Warning signs include a letter, email or text message announcing you won a prize in a lottery or sweepstakes you didn’t enter. Scammers also ask “winners” to send a fee or bank account details to collect a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require you to pay a fee to collect winnings.

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Be On Guard For Scams This Holiday Season

Posted on Author WKVI

With the holidays fast approaching, many scammers are gearing up to deck the halls with their tried and true holiday scams. The Better Business Bureau is warning holiday shoppers and donors to know the red flags and be on guard this holiday season.

Thousands of shoppers every year fall victim to the holiday deals that seem too good to be true and the fraudulent charity pleas, so this season, the BBB urges consumers to take the following tips into consideration before doing their holiday shopping and making charity donations.

Always check a business’s BBB Business Review at bbb.org before making a purchase in the store or online. If you shop Craigslist or other free online bulletin board sites, look for local sellers and conduct transactions in person; never wire money. Always research charities through the Better Business Bureau before giving, and never click any links or open email attachments until you have confirmed that they are not malicious.

Scam Targets First-Time Homeowners

Posted on Author WKVI

Yet another scam is making the rounds across the state, as Marshall County Auditor Penny Lukenbill recently warned taxpayers about a scam that seems to focus on targeting first-time homeowners.

The bill appears to originate from a Washington, D.C. company and asks the homeowner to pay $83 for a copy of their property deed – information which is publicly available in the recorder’s office and can be printed any time for a fee of just $1 per page. Typical deeds are only two pages long.

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Alliance Bank Responds To Recent Phishing Scam

Posted on Author WKVI

No rest for the wicked, or at least that’s the way it seems to be with scams. Yet another series of phishing text messages have been sent out to unsuspecting cell phone users. The fraudulent text messages claimed to be sent by Alliance Bank were actually attempts by criminals to persuade recipients to divulge card and account information.

Alliance Bank customers and non-customers alike received the messages, but the bank has announced that no information has been compromised. The messages referenced an account number using a common card number prefix in an attempt to gain the rest of the card number from the scam target.

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