A year after launching Scam Alerts, Attorney General Andy Beshear announced that his office is collaborating with more than 160 partners across the state on Kentucky’s first continuous, comprehensive push to protect seniors from scams.
Attorney General Beshear
Beshear announced Tuesday that his newest partners are the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Kentucky-Southern Indiana Chapter and the Bluegrass Council of the Blind.
Working with various partners, Beshear’s office has signed up over 9,300 citizens for Scam Alerts direct messaging alert system; hosted more than 100 scam prevention presentations across the state – directly reaching more than 6,500 Kentuckians; and received more than 800 scam-specific complaints.
Through his office’s meditation services, nearly $880,000 has been returned to Kentuckians from more than 4,800 consumer complaints and reports submitted to Beshear’s office, which includes the 800-plus victims of scams.
Beshear said one of those victims was an Elizabethtown resident who had fallen victim to an IRS scam and who his office helped recover more than $50,000.
“While my office strives to help each and every victim of a scam who reaches out, we have more work to do because scammers grow more and more sophisticated in their cons, making it difficult but not impossible for my office to return money to victims,” Beshear said.
On the day Beshear was sworn into office, he created the Office of Senior Protection.
A year ago, it launched a comprehensive campaign to better protect seniors through scam notification, education, community partnership and seeking justice for seniors defrauded by scams.
From that campaign grew Scam Alerts, a system that allows his office to send text message or email alerts to those signed up for the service when new and trending scams are reported to his office. Each alert includes tips on how to spot and avoid the scam, and information on where to report any occurrences.
Signing up for Scam Alerts, Beshear said, is a proactive step everyone can take to become aware of the types of scams on the rise throughout Kentucky and the nation.
Last week, Beshear warned of a scam targeting Kentucky families and seniors who are seeking to save money on their prescription drugs.
Nationally, more than 3 million consumers were conned out of $765 million. Seniors lose nearly $37 billion a year to elder financial abuse.
At almost every scam awareness event, Beshear said he hears from at least one person who has lost money over the years to a scammer.
Beshear said working with a variety of organizations such as congregations, grocers, banks, neighbors and families who, like him, want to protect their members, has helped scam awareness grow throughout the Commonwealth.
Beshear is currently working with such partners as AARP Kentucky, Kentucky Council of Churches, Kentucky Bankers Association, Kroger, Better Business Bureau, UK Cooperative Extension Services, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Beshear will speak today at noon, to the Owensboro Rotary Club with South Central Bank in Daviess County. Bank tellers statewide are working with Beshear’s office to recognize the warning signs of scammers and financial elder abuse to better protect their customers.
Kentuckians interested in receiving Scam Alerts can text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or visit ag.ky.gov/scams to sign up with your mobile phone number or email address.
To report scams to the Office of the Attorney General call 888-432-9257 or file a consumer complaint online.
Kentucky Office of the Attorney General
