The Pilot News

Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Hoosiers to beware of government imposter scams

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Attorney General Todd Rokita is warning Hoosiers about one of the most pernicious robocall frauds. Scammers pretend to call from government agencies like the Social Security Administra­tion, the IRS, or Medicare, but it’s then later exposed as a scam.

“It all starts with a seemingly harmless text, call, or email, but it ultimately results in a devastatin­g blow to Hoosiers’ hard-earned savings,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Do not disclose your financial or other personal informatio­n. If you get a scam call asking you to wire money, use cryptocurr­ency, or gift cards, hang up the phone and contact my office. Scammers are real and create real problems for innocent people.”

These fraudsters will use crafty tricks to fool you. They might tell you that you’ll miss out on some government benefit or offer to send you something for free, but it’s a scam.

Attorney General Rokita shares the following tips for Hoosiers to avoid these types of scammers:

• Don’t wire money, send cash, or use gift cards or cryptocurr­ency to pay someone who says they’re with the government.

• Don’t give your financial or other personal informatio­n to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re with the government.

• Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number, but caller ID can be faked.

• Don’t click on links in unexpected emails or text messages. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Simply delete the message.

• Look out for prerecorde­d calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, neither the Internal Revenue Service nor the Social Security Administra­tion make phone calls to

If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediatel­y terminate the communicat­ion, and do

not provide any personal informatio­n. Add your number to the Indiana Do Not Call List.

Contact our Consumer Protection Division at 1-888-834-9969 or donotcall@atg.in.gov. If you receive an unwanted text or call, please file a complaint here with Attorney General Rokita’s office.

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