Friday, August 2, 2024
Unfortunately, our office has been notified that scammers are pretending to be Attorney General Josh Stein on social media. Imposter scammers pretend to be someone you know or trust to try to get your hard-earned money or personal information. Remember, our office is dedicated to protecting the people of North Carolina – not stealing from them. Attorney General Stein and other government officials will never contact you to threaten you or demand money or your personal information, especially not over social media.
Keep these tips in mind to avoid imposter scammers:
- Don’t respond. If you receive a social media message request from someone claiming to be a government official, do not respond. Instead, reach out to the real government official or their organization by visiting their official website that ends with .gov or .org.
- Double check. If you receive a suspicious-looking email, reread the message for signs of a scam such as vague subject lines, grammatical errors, and high-pressure demands. Check that the sender’s email address matches the official addresses for that agency found on their website. If you see any of those signs, delete the email.
- Do not send money or divulge personal information to unknown contacts – even if they say that they represent the government. If you’re unsure if someone is a legitimate government official, hang up and reach out to the government agency directly using a number listed on their website.
- Remember, if you’re being asked to pay via gift card, it is always a scam.
If you think you or someone you know has been the victim of an imposter scam or someone pretending to be the Attorney General, please report it to our Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.