From fake arrest warrants to claims of missed jury duty, Kentucky has been the target of several scams, and a new website was launched to help keep you from becoming a victim of fraud.

Scammers are Getting Trickier

Every day when you log online or look at your phone, it seems you are overwhelmed with people trying to scam you.  For the most part, many can spot a scam fairly easily, but every day scammers are getting better, and it can sometimes be hard to tell what is someone trying to fraud you, and what is legit. Recently our friends at Eyewitness News shared some information about a new website, that will help Kentuckians stay one step ahead of scammers.

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Kentucky Court of Justice Scam Alert

Reports of scams hitting the Bluegrass State have hit an all-time high, so the Kentucky Court of Justice launched a website to help Kentuckians spot common scams.  Many of the scams the Kentucky Court of Justice (KCOJ for short) talks about are scams that specifically prey on people with fear-mongering.   Meaning the scammer will make it seem like the person they are attempting to fraud is in some kind of legal trouble, whether it's missed jury duty or a fake arrest warrant.

Fake Arrest Warrants and Missed Jury Duty Scams

These types of scams prey on your emotions, hoping that you'll be so flustered that you won't look too deep into who is contacting you. The KCOJ says that in a common version of this scam, someone will mail, email, or calls a victim pretending to be law enforcement and that there is a warrant out for their arrest.  They will then demand a payment to avoid arrest.  KCOJ wants all Kentuckians to know that a valid arrest warrant would NEVER be served by phone, text, or email.  So if you get one of these calls, hang up!

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Some other common scams they have seen targeting Kentuckians are scammers calling and saying someone missed jury duty and that they need to pay for failure to appear.  KCOJ wants to also remind folks that you will NEVER be asked for any type of payment when it comes to jury duty.

Spot the Common Signs of a Scam

KCOJ wants you to remember the signs of a scam:

  • They contacted you
  • They dangle bait-usually money
  • They want your personal information
  • They ask for money

They recommend if you have been a victim of fraud, or if you've had someone attempt to fraud you, report these instances to the KCOJ or local law enforcement, you can find out all of the information on how to do that through the KCOJ website, here. 

LOOK: The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them

Using data from the BBB Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report, Stacker identified the most common and costly types of scams in 2022.

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