Kentucky State Police Post One in Mayfield is continuing to investigate reports of financial scams related to the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry.
Authorities say for the past year numerous registrants have been scammed out of thousands of dollars by a caller reporting to be from the agency. The unknown callers identify themselves as police officers with local or state departments and claim the victim has failed to update their registration and require payment to avoid arrest.
The scammers often request the payment in the form of pre-paid cards such as iTunes or other forms of electronic payment and ask to be given the card number and PIN.
All victims of the scam are on the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry and are being targeted based upon fear of further criminal penalties. Police urge members to contact their Probation and Parole officer if their registration status is questioned.
Tips to avoid being a victim of such scams:
· The Kentucky Sex Offender Registry is operated solely by the Kentucky State Police. Each county’s Probation and Parole office serves as place of registry for all members.
· If a registrant is non-compliant, a notification is sent by mail to the registrant along with state and local law enforcement.
· The Kentucky State Police will not verify sex offender compliance over the phone.
· The Kentucky State Police, along with local law enforcement, NEVER require any form of payment over the phone to satisfy a criminal charge or warrant.
· Scams often come from local phone numbers and sometimes use names of actual law enforcement officers to make the scam more believable.
· Callers often speak with broken English and have poor grammar usage.
· Never provide personal information like a social security number or birthday to someone over the phone. Law enforcement would already have this information when calling.
