July 28, 2023
Beware of scammers pretending to act on behalf of a public agency!
We have become aware that certain people have been contacting New Yorkers by phone and mail, and falsely identifying themselves as members of our office. Please be aware that members of the Offices of The New York State Inspector General do not deal with the distribution of unclaimed funds, would never promise to send you money, nor would we request that you send money to us.
We’re working hard with our state and federal partners to identify those responsible for these scams, but in the meantime, please report any suspicious calls or emails to our office at 1-800-DO-RIGHT (367-4448) as well as your local law enforcement agency. And if you have any questions about whether a contact from our office is legitimate – please just call our main line, 1-800-DO-RIGHT (367-4448) and ask – we’re always here to help protect New York State and its residents.
If you have been the victim of an online or internet-enabled crime, please file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. These reports are used for investigative and intelligence purposes. You can also report fraud and scams to the Federal Trade Commission.