A Distraction Burglary is a crime in which a person gains access to someone's residence by tricking them in order to steal property / money:

These criminals pose as local utility workers or salesmen tricking their way into people's homes. One suspect may keep the resident occupied and unaware while other suspect(s) gain access through an unlocked back door, garage or window.

Keep aware of your surroundings, ask the person to leave that your not interested.  Don't allow the suspect to persuade you to change locations, away from an open garage door or house door.  Call 911 immediately if you believe your being or have been a victim of a Distraction Burglary.

A Walmart scam has been reported to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office of a subject falsely representing themselves as working for Walmart. This subject told the caller that iPhone was being purchased with their information.  The subject was requesting credit card numbers to verify the transaction.  Be very careful when receiving these types of calls and never provide personal information over the telephone.

The scam starts with a call or letter saying you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. But to collect your prize, they say, you need to send money to pay for fees and taxes. Typically you’ll be asked to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s nearly impossible to trace the money — and you’ll almost never get it back.

But that’s not the only way scammers get your money with this scam. Some will send you a realistic-looking fake check in the mail. You’re told that, to claim your prize, you need to deposit the check and send some of the money back for made-up expenses. But when the check you deposit bounces — even after it seemed to clear — you may be on the hook for the money you sent.

If you think you’ve won a prize, here are a few things to know:

• Never send money to collect a prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. If you have to pay, it’s a scam.
• Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. That’s a sure sign of a scam.
• If anyone calls asking you to pay for a prize, hang up and report it to the FTC.

A new scam has been reported to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office of a subject falsely representing themselves as working for the Health and Human Services. This subject told the caller that $9,000 would be deposited into their bank account and requested personal bank information to complete the transfer. This scam is phishing for your personal and bank information to be used for illegal purposes. Please be cautious of these types of telephone calls, use good judgement, and protect your personal information.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has received complaints from several local businesses that an unknown caller is stating they are an employee of the local utility company.  This caller demands money immediately or utility services will be disconnected.  If a caller is representing themselves as a utility employee and their demeanor is rude, demanding, or threatening; hang-up immediately and contact your local utility company and inquire if there are any discrepancies on your account. This scam can also affect homeowners or renters; so all citizens of Jasper County should be alert and aware of these types of calls.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints of scams involving driveway paving throughout Jasper County (other similar work such as roofing, remodeling, siding, etc.) These individuals are approaching homeowners unsolicited to perform driveway paving with exaggerated costs and poor quality of work. Do not invite or allow them into your homes, garages, or out buildings. You have the right to tell these individuals their services are not needed and to leave your property immediately. Be cautious of scare tactics, intimidation, “good deals”, or work being started without consent. We recommended to all homeowners and/or property owners to obtain multiple work quotes from several different prominent companies prior to hiring contractors. If you are solicited for these types of work and feel you’re being scammed or the individuals refuse to leave, please contact your local law enforcement agency or dial 911 immediately.

Credit Card Skimming at ATMs and Gas Stations on the rise
There have been a number of reported cases of credit card skimmers found at ATMs and Gas Stations throughout Indiana. A skimmer is a malicious device that captures the magnetic strip data from credit and debit cards. This information can be used by the suspect(s) or sold on the black market to fraudsters who produce “white cards” or cloned duplicates.

It is important for citizens of Jasper County to be conscious of this activity. When using an ATM or fuel pump at a gas station, look for signs of tampering. Grab the reader if it looks suspicious and give it a tug to make sure it isn’t a skimmer. Look for things that are out of the ordinary. For example, is the color of the reader or surrounding area different than the rest of the ATM or gas pump, is the reader misaligned or protruding.

For more information, please visit the F.B.I.'s website on Card Skimmers below.

F.B.I. - Be aware of Skimmers

Suspects Representing themselves as local utility employees over the telephone
The Jasper County Sheriff's Office has received complaints of telephone calls from individuals identifying themselves as employees with local utility companies.  These subjects are demanding immediate overdue payments and if payment is not made the utilities will be shutoff within 30 minutes.

If you feel a telephone call may be fraudulent, hangup immediately and call the utility company directly yourself and inquire on your account.  Never provide your personal or credit card information over the telephone.