CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) — West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is warning West Virginians about imposter scams during the federal government shutdown. Scammers are exploiting the shutdown to target West Virginians, posing as government officials and promising fake assistance for low-income residents, seniors and college students.
The scammers are spoofing West Virginia phone numbers and impersonating state or federal agencies, then demanding personal information —including Social Security numbers, bank account details, and addresses—to supposedly “verify” victims’ identities before releasing nonexistent funds.
“Situations like natural disasters, holidays or even government shutdowns—times when people are struggling and may need extra help—are when scammers target the most vulnerable among us. If someone contacts you claiming to be a government employee offering assistance and they ask for your personal information or require a handling fee, it is not legitimate. Please protect yourself and your information and share this warning with family members who might be at risk,” Attorney General McCuskey said.
Red Flags: Common Scam Tactics
Scammers are using multiple deceptive techniques to appear legitimate:
• Fake websites and email addresses that closely mimic real government sites. Always examine URLs carefully before entering any information. Look for: Misspellings or character substitutions (example: wv-attorney-genera1.com instead of ago.wv.gov), suspicious domains that start with what looks like a legitimate website but include unusual extensions or extra characters (example: ago.wv.gov.secure-verify.com), HTTP instead of HTTPS in the address bar
• False promises of grant money, emergency financial assistance, or special low-interest loans available only during the shutdown.
• Impersonation of government officials via phone calls, emails, or text messages claiming to represent state or federal agencies or shutdown relief programs.
• Manufactured urgency using threats that benefits will be suspended, legal action will be taken, or limited funds will run out unless you act immediately.
• Payment requests demanding “processing fees,” “verification payments,” or “handling charges” to release promised funds or restore benefits.
• Targeted college scams falsely claiming students have a tuition overage or refund available but must first pay overdue fees to receive the money.
How to protect yourself
• Do not click links or open attachments in an unsolicited email.
• Do not pay a fee to receive a government grant, loan or benefit. If someone asks you to send a check, wire transfer, gift card, crypto currency or other form of payment, it is a scam.
• Do not share personal information. Legitimate government agencies will never call, text or email you to ask for your financial or personal information.
• Verify information independently. If you receive suspicious communication, contact the government agency or organization directly using a phone number or website you know is legitimate. Never use the contact information that was provided in the questionable email, text or call you receive.
If you’ve been targeted or scammed, or if you have questions about suspicious contact, call the Consumer Protection Division of the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office at 800-368-8808 or file a report online at ago.wv.gov.
