Caller claims to provide deep discounts on drugs, charges thousands to victim

FRANKFORT, KY. (May 25, 2017) – Today, Attorney General Andy Beshear issued a Scam Alert to warn of a scam targeting Kentucky families and seniors who are seeking to save money on their prescription drugs.

Staff at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General, contacted Beshear’s office after intercepting a phone caller attempting to lure in an unsuspecting victim by offering well-known prescription drugs for pennies on the dollar.

Beshear said once the caller has the victim’s financial information they charge hundreds of thousands of dollars in unauthorized transactions on the victim’s credit card and the prescription drugs never arrive.

“This is a scam that attempts to extort money from those who are seeking relief from the cost of their prescription drugs,” Beshear said. “I appreciate the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for reporting this scam and working with my office to help make sure Kentuckians have the information they need to avoid falling victim.”

Beshear said the best way to avoid this type of scam is to know the signs of a fake pharmacy compared to a legitimate pharmacy. He recommends these tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Signs of a fake pharmacy:

Offers very cheap prices
A prescription is not required to buy drugs
Located outside of the United States
Not licensed in the United States
Trustworthy pharmacies always:

Require a legitimate prescription
Provide a physical address and telephone number in the United States
Offer a pharmacist to answer your questions
Have a license with the state board of pharmacy
To verify a pharmacy’s license in Kentucky visit the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy website, or visit the FDA website for additional safe pharmacy information.

To help Kentuckians stay ahead of scammers Beshear created Scam Alerts. The service allows Beshear’s office to send a text message or email alert to those signed up when new and trending scams are reported to his office. Each alert includes tips on how to spot and avoid the scam, and information on where to report any occurrences.

Kentuckians interested in receiving Scam Alerts can text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or visit ag.ky.gov/scams to sign up with your mobile phone number or email address.

To report scams to the Office of the Attorney General call 888-432-9257 or file a consumer complaint online.

Better protecting Kentucky families, especially seniors, from scams and fraud is one of the core missions of Beshear’s office.

###
​​
​​

Register for our Birthday/Anniversary Club!!

X