Consumer Alert – Steer Clear of Accounts Impersonating the Commissioner of Agriculture

Friday, September 6, 2024

Unfortunately, our office has been notified that scammers are pretending to be North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler on social media and peer-to-peer payment services like Venmo. Imposter scammers pretend to be someone in a position of authority to get your hard-earned money or personal information. Commissioner Troxler and other government officials will never contact you to threaten you, request or demand money or your personal information, or threaten arrest, 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.
• Verify with someone you trust. If the person on the other end of the phone or message is making demands or threats, don’t engage or act out of fear. Call someone you trust to help you navigate the situation or call our office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
• Remember, if you’re being asked to pay via gift card, it is always a scam.

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, contact our office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.

Information provided by the Attorney General - Original Post: Attorney General Josh Stein Alert: Protect Yourself From Identity Theft.

Information provided to Knox Law Center via - the NC Department of Justice