(LEX 18) — A new scam is making its way around the Commonwealth and the target is teachers.
Currently, the Attorney General's office has the scam narrowed to three counties: Franklin, Jefferson and Whitley counties. But, the scam could be spreading.
Scams are always evolving, in order to trick as many victims as possible. Right now in Kentucky, scammers are targeting teachers.
"They have to change the game a little bit so they can get more victims and that's what they've done. Sometimes they target a group of people and right now that is what they've done, they've targeted teachers and threatened them with this type of scam," said Executive Director for the Office of Senior Protection Gerina Whethers.
The concept is simple: A scammer posing as a "Deputy Hart" calls the school district asking for a specific teacher. The scammer says that the teacher has outstanding warrants or missed jury duty. The scammer then threatens the school officials with obstruction charges if they do not oblige.
Once on the phone with the targeted teacher, the scammer requests payments by gift cards in order to resolve it. Luckily, the Commonwealth is already on top of this scam and has been able to warn the potential victims by working closely with school districts.
"This particular one with our teachers, although they have been targeting them, its been great that we've been able to communicate because no one has lost any money and that's the big part we don't want anyone to fall victim of this scam," said Whethers.
