Frankfort, KY — Attorney General Andy Beshear has issued a scam alert following a Kentucky energy cooperative receiving a scam phishing email appearing to be from the “State Attorney’s Office.” Kentucky businesses and nonprofits should not be deceived by an email from an unofficial address, like complaints@outlook.com, with the subject line “State Attorney’s Office Complaint” that demands the business has “10 days to file a rebuttal.” Beshear said the email is a scam and not affiliated with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General. If a victim clicks on the link in the email, a virus is downloaded that disables the computer. The scammer then can demand money to restore the computer or steal personal and financial information. This year, Beshear’s office has received more than 20 reports of business email compromise scams from Kentuckians. Losses from the scams total more than $15,000.

Beshear’s office offers these tips to help protect Kentuckians from these types of scams:

Before responding or clicking links, call the government agency or business to authenticate an email or other communication.
Pay close attention to the email address.
Warn employees to be suspicious of out-of-the-ordinary emails
Be careful about details shared on company websites and social media accounts.

To report a scam to the Office of the Attorney General, dial 888-432-9257 or file a consumer complaint online.