Kentuckians warned of scam requesting money for free information

Republished from Kentucky Lantern

Secretary of State Michael Adams advised Kentuckians about a new scam around finance filings. 

In a Friday press release, Adams said scammers are attempting to sell Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings — but those are available online for free. 

“My Office does not solicit Kentuckians to purchase records, or charge exorbitant fees,” said Adams. “Beware of any third-party solicitation to purchase documents from our Office.”

According to the secretary of state’s office website, banks, mortgage companies and other lending institutions file such financing statements. The UCC division within the office can be contacted at 502-564-3490.

The press release said a recent scam from “KY UCC Statement Service” has asked debtors listed on UCC-1 finance statements to send $98 to get a copy of their UCC financing statement form. However, those records are on the secretary of state’s website. Any suspected fraudulent mailings may be reported to the Office of Consumer Protection in the attorney general’s office.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter. Kentucky Lantern stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Donate to Kentucky Lantern here.

https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/kentuckians-warned-of-scam-requesting-money-for-free-information/