The FBI's Louisville field office is alerting Kentuckians to a surge in scams where criminals impersonate law enforcement officials. Scammers spoof phone numbers, use AI-generated voices or fake documents, and threaten victims with arrest warrants or jury duty issues unless they pay immediately via cryptocurrency ATMs, wire transfers, or prepaid cards.
"Real law enforcement never demands cryptocurrency payments or threatens arrest over the phone," the FBI emphasized. The agency's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported over 39,949 complaints of government impersonation scams nationwide in 2025, with losses exceeding $833 million. In Kentucky alone, 475 complaints resulted in losses over $3.15 million.
The FBI advises victims to hang up immediately, contact their financial institution, and report the incident to local police or the FBI's IC3 website.