As Kentuckians open their hearts and pocketbooks to help those in need this holiday season, Attorney General Jack Conway wants to ensure charitable donations do not end up in the hands of scam artists.

Conway was quoted as saying that donations to reputable charitable organizations can help clothe a child or put food on the table for a struggling family and that unscrupulous or fraudulent charities not only take advantage of the kindness of hard-working Kentuckians, they deprive those who need help the most.

Conway says many scammers are known to use a technique called phishing to gain access to someone’s secure information, which is often done through emails that appear to come from a legitimate organization.

The emails may contain links to websites that are infected with malware that enable the scammer to gain access to user names, passwords, Social Security numbers and other personal data.

General Conway is encouraging Kentuckians to donate to known charities, to be cautious of solicitors unable to answer questions and ask if the charity is registered with the Office of the Attorney General and to ask for identification and written information.                                                                             **