Residents of Palermo and Freedom are some of the latest targets in what the state Attorney General's Office calls a scam, aimed at gaining personal information.

Robert Keating, chief deputy of the Waldo County Sheriff's Department, said Friday that the callers apparently are using a phone bank. They obtain personal information that could enable them to make purchases on people's credit cards, he said.

Keating said that the problem began in southern Maine, and has spread to central Maine.

According to the Attorney General's Office, people are reporting that they are receiving phone messages, purportedly from Visa. The messages indicate the consumer has reached the limit on their credit card and they must call a 1-800 number to avoid paying an overcharge penalty.