Kentucky Association of Counties

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SPOTLIGHT

CYBER SCAM ALERT: Scammers target counties to change payroll information

Recently, counties have been targeted by scammers to change payroll information, redirecting funds into the scammer’s account.

How the scam works:

  • A county receives an email that looks legitimate asking the county to change the bank account into which payroll or other funds are deposited.
  • The request is fraudulent and if the county complies and changes the bank account information, the funds deposit into the account of the scammer.
  • The scammer then withdraws the funds and closes the account.

If you receive an email asking for banking or payroll information to be redirected:

Look closely at the email address.

The email may look like it comes from someone trusted, but upon further inspection, it is actually being “spoofed”. 

  • Spoofing is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number or website URL—often just by changing one letter, symbol or number—to convince you that you are interacting with a trusted source. For example – the legitimate email address you recognize may be John.Kelly@examplecompany.com and the scam email may come from John.Kelley@examplecompany.com.
  • Carefully examine the email address, URL and spelling used in any correspondence. Scammers use slight differences to trick your eye and gain your trust.
  • If you suspect that an email you receive is a scam, don’t respond to it, click on any links or open any attachments. Report the email immediately to your information technology administrator.

If you believe the email is from a trusted, known source, confirm with the sender that the request is legitimate.

  • Do not use the phone number or email address included in the request email to confirm the request.
  • Independently verify a phone number and contact the requester directly to confirm the request. If possible, it is most secure to have the redirect request made in person.

If you believe you have fallen victim to this scam, it’s important to act quickly:

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