BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

Three distinct fraud schemes surfaced in recent days prompting state and local officials to warn residents.

UCC filing scam

For those with Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings, a subtle scam disguised as bureaucratic routine emerged. According to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, residents with UCC-1 financing statements have been receiving mailers from an entity calling itself “KY UCC Statement Service.”

The solicitation urges recipients to pay $98 for a copy of their UCC financing statement.

UCC records and most records on file with the Secretary of State are available for free or at little cost on the Secretary of State’s website.

“My Office does not solicit Kentuckians to purchase records or charge exorbitant fees,” Adams emphasized in a public warning on Friday. “Beware of any third-party solicitation to purchase documents from our Office.”

The Secretary of State’s Office encourages anyone who receives such mailings to report them to the Attorney General’s Office.

Juror bench warrant ruse

Just a day earlier, Martin Circuit Clerk Denise Gauze took to social media to expose another scam targeting local jurors. The con is a phone call informing the jurors of a supposed bench warrant against them for not showing up for jury duty.

The scammer asks for PayPal information.

“This is a scam!” Gauze stated.

Phantom warrants

Meanwhile, Martin County Sheriff John Kirk warned of yet another phone-based scam targeting locals. In this iteration, fraudsters impersonate law enforcement, informing residents they have warrants for their arrest.

The caller then asks for payment information.

“Please do not give them any information,” Kirk implored in a social media post. “This is not how we serve warrants.”