Heads up: President Obama is not offering to pay your utility bills this month.
A scam that has taken in tens of thousands of victims in other states in recent weeks has just swept into Minnesota, according to the Better Business Bureau and an MSNBC report.
The deception, spread by phone, word of mouth, social media and door-to-door, claims the government has launched a grant program to cover utility bills.
People are directed to call a number, provide a routing number and personal information such as a Social Security number. In some cases, victims receive a false confirmation that a bill has been paid on their behalf, the BBB said.
Meanwhile, scammers have just acquired victims' personal information.
JANE FRIEDMANN
