Praise the Lord and Pass the Scam Protection
Kentucky churches, Attorney General join forces vs senior scammers
FRANKFORT, KY. (March 16, 2017)—Attorney General Andy Beshear today announced six additional members of the faith-based community are partnering with his office to protect local congregations and the communities they serve from con artists and the latest scams.
Congregations in Bowling Green, Frankfort, Henderson, and Louisville have joined Beshear’s 2017 Interfaith Travel Series Scam Alerts, hosted by Beshear’s Office of Senior Protection, being held currently at 30 different locations around the state.
Beshear launched Scam Alerts last year as the state’s first direct messaging service that notifies Kentuckians of financial schemes by con artists to steal money or a person’s identification. He announced the travel series in February to collaborate with the faith-based community and their senior ministries.
“One of my top priorities is to protect Kentucky families, especially our seniors, from the emotional and financially devastating effects that scams and financial exploitation can cause,” Beshear said. “As we build our alliance with congregations across the state, we will continue to raise awareness and give Kentuckians the tools they need to avoid scams and to help protect their neighbors and loved ones.”
Beshear hosted the first Interfaith Scam Alerts event at Shelby Christian Church in Shelbyville in February. He is joining Pastor Dr. Jim Searcy of Allen Baptist Church in Prestonsburg on Thursday for a scam alert event.
Beshear is working with AARP of Kentucky and the Kentucky Baptist Convention on the initiative. The latest congregations to join are:
• First Baptist Church in Bowling Green
• Faith Baptist Church in Frankfort
• Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Henderson
• First Baptist Church in Jeffersontown/Louisville
• Burnett Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville
• Immanuel United Church of Christ in Louisville
Beshear is working to bring new solutions and ideas to address scams because of the severe harm they are having on Kentucky families. More than 3 million consumers were conned out of $765 million across the country in 2015. Seniors nationwide lose nearly $37 billion a year to elder financial exploitation.
To date, more than 100 nonprofit and retail organizations have joined Beshear’s initiative as a Scam Alerts partner, including Kroger, AARP of Kentucky, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the Better Business Bureau, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Kentuckians have recently received Scam Alerts on the Sweetheart Scam, IRS Scam, Seasonal Employment Scam and a scam targeting veterans.
Congregations interested in participating in the series may contact Beshear’s Office of Senior Protection at (502) 696-5300. Kentuckians can sign up for Scam Alerts by texting the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.
