Holiday Scam Prevention
The Kentucky Court of Justice is partnering with the Kentucky Retail Federation to help protect Kentuckians from scams during the holiday shopping season. Gift card scams are especially common this time of year. Scammers often pressure people to make payments with gift cards or to read the numbers over the phone, claiming it will resolve an urgent problem.
Some of these schemes involve fraudulent statements that an arrest warrant has been issued for the targeted individual. Scammers may pose as law enforcement or court officials and demand immediate payment to avoid supposed legal consequences. Courts will never request payment by gift card or other alternative payment forms such as digital currency.
With gift cards among the most popular holiday purchases, KRF reports that many retailers have taken steps to prevent tampering. Shoppers may see updated packaging, revised displays or a requirement to pick up cards at the customer service desk.
The KCOJ offers free scam-alert resources to help individuals recognize, avoid and report fraudulent activity, including unsolicited calls or messages requesting personal or financial information.
What is a scam?
A scam is a type of fraud and an illegal trick. Scams target people of all ages, backgrounds and income levels worldwide. People lose money and personal information to scams every day. Scammers target people through various methods, including phone, email and social media, to obtain money and/or personal, medical and financial information. Thieves take advantage of technology, products, services and events to create believable stories to convince people to provide their information.
KCOJ scam alert
Scams have reached an all-time high in Kentucky, including frequently reported scams to the Kentucky Court of Justice - the state's court system.
One such scam involves fake arrest warrants. In a common version of this scheme, the scammer mails, emails or calls potential victims pretending to be law enforcement and says there is a warrant for their arrest. The scammer demands payment to avoid arrest.
While such scams are not uncommon or isolated to Kentucky, warrant forgery is becoming more sophisticated. A fraudulent warrant may display the Kentucky Court of Justice seal, a case number and list various charges, often for charges such as failure to appear in court or missed jury service.
A valid arrest warrant is
NEVER served by phone, text or email.
Protect Yourself Against Jury Scams
Be on alert for jury scams, including those involving calls from people claiming to be court officials or law enforcement officers.
Kentucky Court of Justice personnel will never ask for payment, a credit card number or Social Security number for failure to appear for jury service. Do not provide your bank or credit card information over the phone to anyone claiming to be associated with the court system’s jury program.
If you receive a suspicious call, email or other communication from someone who claims to be a court employee and requests financial information, contact your local jury office and local law enforcement immediately.
Signs of a scam
If you spot any of these tactics, stop, walk away or hang up. You're probably being scammed.
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They contacted you. When you contact a business, you know who is on the other end of the line. But when someone contacts you first, you can't tell if they're telling the truth. Remember, email addresses and caller ID information can be faked.
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They dangle bait – usually money. Scammers may dangle a large sum of money, gift card, loan or prize. If it's too good to be true, it may be a scam.
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They want your personal information. Anytime anyone asks for personal information such as your bank account number or Social Security number, be on alert. Do not provide personal information quickly or easily. You may become a victim of identity fraud.
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They ask for money. Scammers tell potential victims they must pay to receive a prize, debt relief or other incentives. A red flag is that scammers may demand immediate payment through electronic payment systems like PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Cash App.
Check out our
Fighting Fraud fact sheet.
Verify court information
To check court information for legitimacy, contact your local circuit court clerk. To obtain contact information, choose your county from the drop-down menu on the
Circuit Court Clerks page.
To check jury service information, choose your county
here.
Report a scam
If you have been a scam victim or suspect someone is trying to commit fraud, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency.
To file a complaint with the state or ask questions, call the Office of the Attorney General's
Office of Consumer Protection at 888-432-9257 or complete a complaint form
online.
To report and help fight internet crime, contact the
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
You can also report scams and suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission.