Scammers have been making their way from state to state, persuading victims that a special federal government assistance program -- sometimes described as a bailout authorized by President Barack Obama's administration -- is available to pay their utility bills. Victims are given bank account and routing numbers to use when paying their bills online, but only after they "register" by surrendering their Social Security numbers and other personal information.

Criminals are using social media to spread the word, as well as going block by block, knocking on doors and handing out leaflets, encouraging people to pay their bills with the bogus account information. For additional information, visit http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12634554-obama-paying-utility-bills-scam-victims-nationwide-think-so?lite.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller warns consumers to not respond to text messages claiming you have won a free gift card.

Since January, the Attorney General’s Office has received 76 consumer complaints about text messages claiming to be from Walmart. One example of the messages reads, “You have been selected for a FREE $1,000 Walmart gift card! Enter code: “FREE317” at www.walmart.com.wlrt.biz to get yours now. Only 124 left! Txt OUT to remove.”

A new scam sweeping the country involves a person who claims to be a jury duty coordinator calling a person to verify they received a summons for jury duty, and that a warrant had been issued for their arrest. If the person states they never received a summons, the scammer asks for their Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. The person’s identity may be compromised by providing this information.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, Colorado and Arizona. This scam is particularly insidious because intimidation is used to obtain information from callers pretending to be with the court system.

Woman visits west-side senior communities Dec. 19 conducting “wellness tests”

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 22, 2011) – A new scam is targeting senior citizens on the city’s west side. A woman has been visiting residences in area senior communities asking to conduct “wellness tests” and instead robbing the elderly.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller reminds Hoosiers to be cautious of calls from "grandchildren" claiming they’re in trouble and need money due to an auto accident, overdue rent or minor brush with the law – it’s likely a scam. Dozens of Hoosier seniors have reported such calls to the Attorney General's Office in recent weeks.

It may seem hard to believe that this scam works but the imposters are good at what they do and choose their targets carefully -- tugging on the heartstrings of caring and loving grandparents. For example, one Indianapolis couple recently lost most of their life savings to a man posing as their grandson who claimed to be in a car accident in Canada and needed to pay for damages and medical bills. The couple, concerned about their grandson, didn’t hesitate to help by wiring $6,000 to Canada. Several weeks passed before they realized they'd been scammed. 

Former identity thieves have confessed some ways they collect personal information used to steal identities. Attorney General Greg Zoeller is sharing these tactics to help Hoosiers protect themselves against identity theft. (Source: Reader's Digest Magazine).

1. Watch your back in line at the grocery store. I’ll hold my phone like I’m looking at the screen and snap your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online—on your dime.
2. That red flag tells the mail carrier—and me—that you have outgoing mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reproduce.
3. Check your bank and credit card balances at least once a week. I can do a lot of damage in the 30 days between statements.
4. In Europe, credit cards have an embedded chip and require a PIN, which makes them a lot harder to hack. Here, I can duplicate the magnetic stripe technology with a $50 machine.
5. If a bill doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, don’t breathe a sigh of relief. Start to wonder if your mail has been stolen.
6. That’s me driving through your neighborhood at 3 a.m. on trash day. I fill my trunk with bags of garbage from different houses, then sort later.
7. You throw away the darnedest things—preapproved credit card applications, old bills, expired credit cards, checking account deposit slips, and crumpled-up job or loan applications with all your personal information.
8. If you see something that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ATM or sticks out from the card slot, walk away. That’s the skimmer I attached to capture your card information and PIN.
9. Why don’t more of you call 888-5-OPTOUT to stop banks from sending you preapproved credit offers? You’re making it way too easy for me.
10. I use your credit cards all the time, and I never get asked for ID. A helpful hint: I’d never use a credit card with a picture on it.
11. I can call the electric company, pose as you, and say, “Hey, I thought I paid this bill. I can’t remember—did I use my Visa or MasterCard? Can you read me back that number?” I have to be in character, but it’s unbelievable what they’ll tell me.
12. Thanks for using your debit card instead of your credit card. Hackers are constantly breaking into retail databases, and debit cards give me direct access to your banking account.
13. Love that new credit card that showed up in your mailbox. If I can’t talk someone at your bank into activating it (and I usually can), I write down the number and put it back. After you’ve activated the card, I start using it.

If you believe you’ve been scammed, you can file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection division online at www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.

A new scam is targeting diabetic Medicare beneficiaries across Indiana, reports the Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging (IAAAA).

According to Tamra Simpson, program director for SMP, also known as Senior Medicare Patrol, scammers have been telephoning beneficiaries from a Florida phone number, (737) 786-9211, claiming to be from Medicare or what sounds like “Med-care.” Complaints of similar calls have been reported from every area code in Indiana.