According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans reported losing $10 billion to fraud in 2023, which is a 14% increase from 2022 and the highest amount ever reported to the FTC.  Almost everyone with a telephone number experiences a relentless barrage of attempts aimed at extracting personal information, holding electronic devices for ransom, or tricking individuals into compromising situations to extort money from them.

In response to this pressing issue, the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, Forcht Bank, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Family and Consumer Science (FCS) agent Asa Conkwright, and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) agent Chris Ammerman joined forces to offer personal protective training and awareness programs. The aim was to empower individuals to recognize and thwart fraudulent attempts.

The program featured FBI agent Chris Hubbuch, who presented the latest trends in fraud impacting Kentuckians and others across the U.S. Participants gained insights into identifying red flags and common scams that prey on victims through electronic communication. Speakers also provided guidance on recognizing and responding to scam situations. Training covered common phishing scams on social media platforms, telephone call scams, and sexploitation scams, as well as practical strategies for safeguarding personal data.

In the second year of this initiative reaching 35 people. In a follow-up survey, all respondents acknowledged the prevalence of fraud across various channels, including email, calls/texts, social media, and mail. Furthermore, 100% expressed increased confidence in identifying red flags for common scams, and 86% reported knowing at least two ways to protect themselves from fraud. Additionally, 100% of participants were aware of at least one organization to report fraud to, and 86% indicated their intention to report future fraud and scams. Moreover, 76% of participants stated they felt confident in their ability to protect their assets.