The McCracken County Sheriff's Office has renewed its warning to residents after a fresh wave of telephone scams resulted in financial losses totalling more than $18,000 this month, with seniors disproportionately targeted.
Detectives have received at least nine formal complaints since May 1st involving callers impersonating law enforcement officers, Social Security Administration representatives, and utility company employees. In several cases, victims were told they faced imminent arrest or service disconnection unless they paid immediately via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
One Paducah woman in her seventies lost $4,200 after a caller claiming to be a McCracken County deputy told her there was a warrant out for her arrest and that she could avoid jail by purchasing Google Play gift cards and reading the card numbers over the phone. She complied before contacting family members, who alerted authorities. In a separate incident, a 71-year-old Reidland man sent $3,800 via wire transfer to a caller who claimed to represent his electric utility.
Sheriff's officials stressed that no legitimate law enforcement agency or government body will ever demand payment over the phone via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. Any caller requesting such payment is a fraudster.
"We will never call you and demand money to avoid arrest," said Chief Deputy Aaron Miles. "If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately and call us directly at our non-emergency line."
The Federal Trade Commission logged more than 2.6m fraud reports nationwide in 2024, with telephone impersonation scams accounting for losses exceeding $1.1bn. Older adults account for a disproportionate share of reported losses.
Residents can report suspected fraud to the McCracken County Sheriff's Office at (270) 444-4719 or to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.