Indiana Attorney General Consumer Protection

 

Sara Fleishhacker of the Indiana Attorney General’s office spoke to Kiwanis about the protection services provided by the Consumer Protection Services Division.  She spoke about the Do Not Call List, Identity Theft, Scams, Fraud and Unclaimed Property. 

One of the most common complaints about the Do Not Call List was the credit card services who call regardless of your status on the list.   Many of these calls originate outside the United States and the purpose is to identify active phone numbers.  The best advice is not to answer the call or hang up quickly if you receive a call.  Once the company identifies that your phone number is active they will resell it on a list to other organizations. 

Identity Theft and Scams come in various forms but all have the objective of making money from you or your identity.  One of the worst scams is called the family scam.  Someone calls and pretends to be a relative who is in trouble and needs money wired to them quickly.  Do not ever respond to this type of call without checking it out with another family member.   

The Attorney General’s website, www.IndianaConsumer.com contains detailed information on all of the topics and forms to lodge complaints with their office.