Indiana Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Your Right to Sue (2026)

Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act lets a person who relied on a deceptive act by a supplier (a business that regularly engages in or solicits consumer transactions) in a consumer transaction sue for the damages they actually suffered or $500, whichever is greater. If the act was willful, the court may raise that to as much as three times the actual damages or $1,000. Most claims require written notice to the business first, but not when the deception was part of a scheme to defraud, and the deadline is two years from the deceptive act.

Indiana adds two more protections. People 60 and older have a separate right to sue a person who knowingly took control of their property by deception or intimidation as that law defines those terms, and a court may award double damages for a knowing violation. And Indiana has banned crypto ATMs outright: under a law signed on March 9, 2026, no one may operate a virtual currency kiosk in the state. Complaints about scams go to the Indiana Attorney General, whose Consumer Protection Division mediates and investigates them.

Information last verified on October 2, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers Indiana state law: the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Indiana Code 24-5-0.5), the civil remedy for financial exploitation of senior consumers (IC 24-4.6-6), Indiana's protections for endangered adults, the virtual currency kiosk ban (IC 28-8-7), and Indiana court deadlines for suing. Federal refund and reporting rights are summarized briefly and covered in depth on our national guides. Out of scope: criminal defense, and the law of other states (if the scammer or business is elsewhere, that state's law may also matter).

First steps if you were scammed in Indiana

Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company or crypto exchange that moved your money right away, because that company is usually the one that can stop or reverse a payment. Your federal rights depend on how you paid. Our guide on how to get money back after a scam walks through each payment method, and the Zelle and payment app guide covers app transfers.

Then report the scam. Most scams go to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and online crime to the FBI's IC3; our where to report a scam guide lists every federal channel. The Indiana offices below are in addition to those, not instead of them. For the bigger picture, start at our scams and fraud hub.

Where to report a scam in Indiana

The Attorney General's office is clear about its role: "By state law, the Attorney General's Office cannot act as an individual's private attorney or provide legal advice to citizens. However, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division mediates and investigates consumer complaints against businesses and other organizations and takes legal action on behalf of the state against individuals and companies that violate Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act."

Mediation can help when the other side is a real business that wants to keep its reputation. It does little against an anonymous scammer, so the payment company and law enforcement remain your first calls in that situation.

The Department of Financial Institutions handles complaints only about companies within its authority. Its page says a complaint "should be filed with the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions if it involves an entity currently chartered, licensed, or registered with our agency or required to be chartered, licensed, or registered with our agency." The same page points complaints about national banks to their federal regulators.

Indiana's consumer protection law: can you sue?

Sometimes. The Deceptive Consumer Sales Act bars a "supplier" from committing "an unfair, abusive, or deceptive act, omission, or practice in connection with a consumer transaction" (IC 24-5-0.5-3(a)), and it lets the person harmed bring a private lawsuit. Section 4(a) sets out the right:

"A person relying upon an uncured or incurable deceptive act may bring an action for the damages actually suffered as a consumer as a result of the deceptive act or five hundred dollars ($500), whichever is greater. The court may increase damages for a willful deceptive act in an amount that does not exceed the greater of: (1) three (3) times the actual damages of the consumer suffering the loss; or (2) one thousand dollars ($1,000)."

Who the act covers

The claim depends on two defined terms. A "consumer transaction" is a sale, lease or other disposition of property, a service or an intangible "to a person for purposes that are primarily personal, familial, charitable, agricultural, or household, or a solicitation to supply any of these things" (IC 24-5-0.5-2(a)(1)). A "supplier" is "a seller, lessor, assignor, or other person who regularly engages in or solicits consumer transactions" (IC 24-5-0.5-2(a)(3)(A)).

So the act fits best when a business sold or offered you something for personal or household use and deceived you along the way. Whether a scammer who simply tricked you into sending money counts as a supplier in a consumer transaction depends on the facts; an Indiana lawyer can tell you whether your situation fits.

Some things are outside the private claim:

• Securities and some insurance. The definition of consumer transaction excludes "securities and policies or contracts of insurance issued by corporations authorized to transact an insurance business under the laws of the state of Indiana." Report investment fraud to the Securities Division (see the table above).
• Most real estate. Section 4(a) does not apply to a consumer transaction in real property, except purchases of time shares and camping club memberships.
• Conduct the law requires or allows. Under IC 24-5-0.5-6, the chapter "does not apply to an act or practice that is: (1) required or expressly permitted by federal law, rule, or regulation; or (2) required or expressly permitted by state law, rule, regulation, or local ordinance."
• Certain listed violations. Section 4(a) also does not apply to a violation of Indiana's telephone solicitation law (IC 24-4.7), IC 24-5-12, IC 24-5-14 or IC 24-5-14.5, or to the debt collection deceptive act in section 3(b)(20).

What you can recover

The baseline is your actual loss or $500, whichever is greater. The increase to three times actual damages (or $1,000, if that is greater) applies only to a willful deceptive act, and the statute says the court "may" award it, so it is a ceiling, not an automatic tripling.

Older consumers get an added provision. Section 4(i) says: "A senior consumer relying upon an uncured or incurable deceptive act, including an act related to hypnotism, may bring an action to recover treble damages, if appropriate." The act defines a senior consumer as "an individual who is at least sixty (60) years of age." When treble damages are appropriate under that section is for the court to decide.

Attorney's fees run both ways. Section 4(a) says: "the court may award reasonable attorney's fees to the party that prevails in an action under this subsection." That means a consumer who loses could face a fee request. Under section 4(k), if the business made a timely offer to cure, it is not liable for the consumer's attorney's fees and court costs incurred after the offer "unless the actual damages awarded ... exceed the value of the offer to cure."

Notice and the chance to cure

Before most suits, you must give the business written notice and a chance to make things right. Under IC 24-5-0.5-5(a), no private action may be brought unless "(1) the deceptive act is incurable or (2) the consumer bringing the action shall have given notice in writing to the supplier within the sooner of (i) six (6) months after the initial discovery of the deceptive act, (ii) one (1) year following such consumer transaction, or (iii) any time limitation, not less than thirty (30) days, of any period of warranty applicable to the transaction," and the act has become an uncured deceptive act.

An act is "uncured" if the business makes no offer to cure within 30 days after your notice. An offer to cure must include an added amount of at least the greater of 10% of the value of the remedy (but not more than $4,000) or $500.

The notice rule does not apply to an incurable deceptive act, which the act defines as one "done by a supplier as part of a scheme, artifice, or device with intent to defraud or mislead." Many scams fit that description, but you would have to prove the intent to defraud. Note how short the notice window can be: whichever of the three dates comes first controls, so it can close well under six months after you discover the problem.

The deadline

Under IC 24-5-0.5-5(b), a private action "may not be brought more than two (2) years after the occurrence of the deceptive act." The statute measures the two years from the deceptive act itself, so do not wait to see whether the business makes good.

What the Attorney General can do

The Attorney General can sue for an injunction, restitution and costs, and the court may impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per knowing violation (IC 24-5-0.5-4(g)). For a knowing violation against a senior consumer, the court may increase restitution in the Attorney General's case up to three times (IC 24-5-0.5-4(c)(3)), and an incurable deceptive act carries a civil penalty of not more than $500 per violation in an Attorney General action (IC 24-5-0.5-8). Civil penalties are part of the state's enforcement case; they are not a claim a victim brings.

The honest limit

A lawsuit needs a defendant you can identify, serve and collect from. That often works against an Indiana business, a contractor or a seller with a real address. It usually does not work against an anonymous scammer who called from a spoofed number or vanished with crypto, and a court judgment does not help if nobody can be found to pay it.

Protections for older adults in Indiana

A right to sue for people 60 and older. Indiana's senior consumer chapter is broader than the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act for many elder scams, because its text is not limited to a consumer transaction or a supplier. Under IC 24-4.6-6-4(a), "A person commits financial exploitation of a senior consumer when the person knowingly and by deception or intimidation obtains control over the property of a senior consumer or illegally uses the assets or resources of a senior consumer." Section 5(a) lets the senior consumer "bring an action against the person who commits the act." The chapter defines its terms narrowly: "deception" means a misrepresentation or omission of a material fact about a contract or agreement with the senior, or a false pretense or promise used to get the senior to enter one, and "intimidation" means threatening that the senior will lose food, shelter, medication or medical care. The chapter also does not apply to insurance matters regulated by the Indiana Department of Insurance or to securities fraud regulated by the Secretary of State; a senior reports those to that agency, which refers the matter to the Attorney General if the wrongdoer is outside its authority.

The court may order the property returned or damages paid. For a knowing violation by someone who was not in a position of trust, section 5(c)(1) allows "payment of two (2) times the amount of damages incurred or value of property or assets lost; and ... a civil penalty not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000)." If the person was in a position of trust, the court may award treble damages and a civil penalty of up to $10,000. The court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a senior consumer who prevails, the case is decided by a preponderance of the evidence, and the chapter lets the Attorney General ask a court to freeze assets in an amount up to the alleged value of the lost property.

This guide did not verify the filing deadline for this claim. If you are considering one, talk to an Indiana lawyer soon.

A crime when the victim is an endangered adult. Indiana Code 35-46-1-12(b) makes it exploitation of a dependent or an endangered adult, a Class A misdemeanor, to recklessly use or control the personal services or property of an endangered adult or a dependent "for the person's own profit or advantage." The offense is a Level 6 felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under that section. This statute is narrower than it sounds: an "endangered adult" is someone 18 or older who is incapable, because of mental illness, intellectual disability, dementia or other incapacity, of managing their own property, and who is harmed or threatened by neglect, battery or exploitation (IC 12-10-3-2(a)). It is not a general over-60 crime.

Everyone must report. Under IC 12-10-3-9(a), "An individual who believes or has reason to believe that another individual is an endangered adult shall make a report under this chapter." The state's Adult Protective Services page puts it plainly: "Indiana is a mandatory report state, meaning everyone is required by law to report cases of suspected neglect, battery or exploitation of an endangered adult to an APS unit or law enforcement." You can report online or call the state hotline at 800-992-6978. APS says it "is not an emergency responder, if you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911."

Investment firms can pause a payout. Under IC 23-19-4.1-7, a supervisory, compliance or legal staff member at a broker-dealer or investment adviser may refuse a request to disburse funds from an account owned by, or benefiting, a "financially vulnerable adult" if they have reason to believe the disbursement may result in financial exploitation. The firm must make a reasonable effort to notify the people authorized on the account within two business days (it need not contact someone it suspects of the exploitation) and must notify the protective agencies within three. The refusal expires 15 business days after it begins, and the securities commissioner shall extend it for another 15 business days if the firm's internal review supports the belief. Firms must also report suspected exploitation to Adult Protective Services and the commissioner (IC 23-19-4.1-6).

If you are worried about a parent's bank account, tell the bank directly that you suspect a scam, and report to Adult Protective Services. For fraud against anyone 60 or older, the federal DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) can also help you report; see where to report a scam.

Indiana scam laws on the books

Crypto ATMs are banned

Indiana banned crypto ATMs. House Enrolled Act 1116, which became Public Law 143-2026 when the governor signed it on March 9, 2026, added Indiana Code 28-8-7, effective on passage. Section 8 is one sentence: "A person may not operate a virtual currency kiosk in Indiana." A kiosk is "an electronic terminal through which the operator of the electronic terminal is able to conduct or facilitate a virtual currency transaction on behalf of a third party" (IC 28-8-7-6).

A violation is a deceptive act "actionable by the attorney general" under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (IC 28-8-7-9(a)), and the same act added kiosk violations to the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act's list of deceptive acts. The Attorney General may sue both the operator and a premises owner who knowingly or intentionally permitted the kiosk. For a knowing or intentional violation, the court may order forfeiture of the charges collected from users, forfeiture of kiosks, and payment of the Attorney General's investigation costs.

If you find a crypto kiosk operating in Indiana, or someone pressed you to use one, you can report it to the Attorney General. Our crypto and investment scams guide explains what to do if you already sent crypto.

Door-to-door sales: three days to cancel

Indiana's home solicitation law lets a consumer cancel a "home consumer transaction," an unsolicited sale made in person away from the seller's permanent place of business, with a cash price of at least $25. You cancel by written notice "before midnight of the third business day" (IC 24-5-10-8 and 24-5-10-9). The seller must give you two copies of a notice of your right to cancel. For this law, a business day is any day other than Sunday or a legal holiday (IC 24-5-10-1).

Suing a scammer or a business in Indiana

Small claims. An Indiana small claims docket hears "civil actions in which the amount sought or value of the property sought to be recovered is not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000)" (IC 33-29-2-4(b)(1)). That is the usual place for a modest claim against a business or an individual you can identify and serve.

Deadlines. A Deceptive Consumer Sales Act claim has the two-year limit above. A common-law fraud claim has a longer one: under IC 34-11-2-7(4), "actions for relief against frauds" must be commenced within six years after the cause of action accrues. When a fraud claim accrues can depend on when it was discovered; ask an Indiana lawyer how that applies to your dates. Our Indiana statute of limitations guide covers other civil deadlines.

Who you can actually reach. Lawsuits work against people and businesses with a name, an address and assets. A scammer who hid behind a fake identity, a spoofed caller ID or an overseas account is usually not reachable through an Indiana court. In those cases the payment company, a fast report to law enforcement, and protecting your identity are where your effort pays off. Our guide on when a lawyer helps after a scam covers the cases where hiring one makes sense.

Related guides

• Scams and fraud: your rights and where to start
• How to get money back after a scam
• Where to report a scam
• Elder fraud
• Crypto and investment scams
• Indiana identity theft laws
• Indiana debt collection laws
• Indiana statute of limitations

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your payment company, the Indiana office named above, or a lawyer licensed in Indiana.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue a scammer in Indiana?

Possibly, if the scammer was a supplier who regularly engages in or solicits consumer transactions, the deal was for personal or household purposes, and you can identify and serve them. The Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (IC 24-5-0.5-4) then allows actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. An anonymous or overseas scammer is usually not reachable through an Indiana court.

Does Indiana award triple damages for consumer fraud?

Only for a willful deceptive act, and only if the court chooses to. Under IC 24-5-0.5-4(a), the court may increase damages up to the greater of three times actual damages or $1,000. A senior consumer may also seek treble damages under section 4(i), if appropriate.

Do I have to send a notice letter before suing under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act?

Usually yes. IC 24-5-0.5-5(a) requires written notice to the supplier within the sooner of six months after discovery, one year after the transaction, or a warranty period, and the business then has 30 days to offer a cure. No notice is needed if the act was incurable, meaning part of a scheme with intent to defraud or mislead.

How long do I have to sue under Indiana's consumer protection law?

A private action may not be brought more than two years after the deceptive act occurred (IC 24-5-0.5-5(b)). A common-law fraud claim generally has six years after it accrues (IC 34-11-2-7(4)).

Can an older person in Indiana sue someone who scammed them?

Often, yes. A senior consumer (60 or older) can sue a person who knowingly, by deception or intimidation as Indiana defines those terms, obtained control over their property (IC 24-4.6-6-4 and 24-4.6-6-5). Insurance and securities matters go to the Department of Insurance or the Secretary of State first. For a knowing violation the court may order twice the loss plus a civil penalty of up to $5,000, and may award attorney's fees to a senior who prevails.

Who do I call if an elderly person in Indiana is being scammed?

Report it to Indiana Adult Protective Services at 800-992-6978 or online; Indiana law requires everyone to report suspected exploitation of an endangered adult. Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. The DOJ Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) also helps with fraud against anyone 60 or older.

Are crypto ATMs legal in Indiana?

No. Public Law 143-2026, signed March 9, 2026 and effective on passage, says a person may not operate a virtual currency kiosk in Indiana (IC 28-8-7-8). The Attorney General enforces the ban.

Will the Indiana Attorney General get my money back?

The office cannot act as your private attorney, but its Consumer Protection Division mediates and investigates complaints against businesses. Contact your payment company for a reversal, and consider a private claim against a business you can identify.

What is the small claims limit in Indiana?

Indiana small claims dockets hear civil actions seeking not more than $10,000 (IC 33-29-2-4(b)(1)).