Fraud Resource

Top Tips to Avoid Scams

Hang up. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine. And, avoid robocalls by registering your number on Kentucky's No Call List.

Do not pay upfront. Scammers often offer prizes or threaten to take action against you, if you don't pay a fee or provide your personal information. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will not threaten you for upfront payments.

Do not wire money or send reloadable credit/gift cards to people you do not know. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will not require you to use these payment methods. It is almost impossible to get your money back after it has been wired, through services like Western Union. Reloadable cards like MoneyPak, Reloadit or other types of gift cards like iTunes present the same problem.

Slow down. Con artists prey on fear and want to scare you in to taking action very quickly. Before you issue payment or provide your personal information, verify the business by researching it online – verify their website, contact information, search for customer reviews and company policies.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone is offering you something for free or a prize you never registered to win, it is more than likely a scam.

Grandparent scam. Kentucky seniors have received phone calls from scammers claiming to be their grandchildren. These scammers claim to have been arrested in a foreign country and say they need money wired immediately so they can pay bail. The scammers add that they don't want "mom and dad" to get upset and request the "grandparent" to remain silent about the issue. This is one more way scammers are taking advantage of the love and concern of seniors for their families and preying on their good nature.

Student loan scam. Kentucky college students are being targeted by a scam that promises student loan debt relief services in exchange for a large fee and students’ personal information. Students should avoid these companies. All loan services are already offered free to students by their loan companies, and students should contact their current student loan company that can offer changes to a repayment plan at any time for free. Learn more

Deputy sheriff scam. Kentuckians are being targeted over the phone by scam artists claiming to be sheriff’s deputies who can help residents resolve a federal warrant that has been issued against them – but for a price. These scammers are looking for quick, easy cash, and they love the idea of pre-paid cards. If anyone contacts you and requires payment to be made using one of these cards, hang up and contact the AG’s Office or your local sheriffs’ office. Learn more

IRS scams. This year, one senior citizen reported sending more than $50,000, including more than $20,000 in gift cards she purchased at local retailers, to a con artist claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS Scam is particularly prevalent during tax season, but scammers pretend to represent the IRS all year long. Learn more

Coronavirus Checks: Flattening the Scam Curve

There’s a lot to worry about when it comes to the Coronavirus crisis, including the new ways scammers are using the economic impact payments (so-called “stimulus checks”) to trick people. To keep ahead of scammers who are trying to cash in on those payments, read on.

Scammers have no shame, and nothing – not even a global health crisis – is off limits. They’re pitching fake Coronavirus vaccines, unproven cures, and bogus at-home testing kits. So, it’s not surprising that scammers are exploiting confusion about economic impact payments too. But it’s still shameful.

Most people who qualify for a check will automatically get it direct deposited by the IRS within weeks. But as details emerge about how and when payments will arrive, some scammers may start using official-looking fake checks to steal money and confuse people into turning over personal information. Here’s some information to help avoid fake check scams that might be arriving soon.

The check’s not in the mail – yet. Reports say that paper checks – for people without direct deposit – will start arriving in May at the earliest. So, if you get an economic impact payment, stimulus, or relief check before then, or you get a check when you’re expecting a direct deposit, it’s a scam.
The IRS will not send you an overpayment and make you send the money back in cash, gift cards, or through a money transfer. If you get an official-looking check for more than what you were expecting – say, for $3,000 – the next call you’re likely to get is from a scammer. They’ll tell you to keep your $1,200 payment, and return the rest by sending cash, gift cards, or money transfers. It’s a scam that will leave you owing money to your bank.
That’s not the IRS calling, texting, or emailing. Scammers are sending official-looking messages – including postcards with a password to be used online to “access” or “verify” your payment or direct deposit information. The IRS will not contact you to collect your personal information or bank account. It’s a scam.

For trusted information and updates about IRS payments – including eligibility, how to sign up for direct deposit, or where to file a short tax form – always start with irs.gov/coronavirus. Learn how to avoid scams by subscribing to the FTC’s consumer alerts, and report scams to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Avoiding Coronavirus Stimulus Payment Scams

Scammers are using these stimulus payments to try to rip people off. They might try to get you to pay a fee to get your stimulus payment. Or they might try to convince you to give them your Social Security number, bank account, or government benefits debit card account number.

4 Tips for Avoiding a Coronavirus Stimulus Payment Scam

1) Only use irs.gov/coronavirus to submit information to the IRS – and never in response to a call, text, or email.
2) The IRS won’t contact you by phone, email, text message, or social media with information about your stimulus payment, or to ask you for your Social Security number, bank account, or government benefits debit card account number. Anyone who does is a scammer phising for your information.
3) You don’t have to pay to get your stimulus money.
4) The IRS won’t tell you to deposit your stimulus check then send them money back because they paid you more than they owed you. That’s a fake check scam.

Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. To keep up with the latest scams, sign up for the FTC's consumer alerts.