*ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERT: *Scammers Create Frenzy with Fake Government Checks**
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*LITTLE ROCK*  As Congress works to complete the COVID-19 economic stimulus package, con artists have also been working non-stop to identify new ways to take advantage of Arkansans concerned about the economy. These scammers impersonate government officials and reach out to Arkansans by phone, email or social media demanding the victim's personal and banking information to verify their eligibility for the government's stimulus check.

Bad actors come out in bad situations and will do anything to make a quick buck on the backs of concerned Arkansans, said Attorney General Rutledge. The federal government will never reach out asking for personal and banking information in order to confirm your eligibility for payment.

Attorney General Rutledge has provided the following tips to keep you and your pocketbook safe.


  * Only rely on official government websites (.gov) for economic relief information.
  * Never give out your personal information over the telephone or email.
  * When information becomes available, the Attorney Generals _website [ https://arkansasag.gov/ ]_ will direct you to reliable sources.

Arkansas residents encountering someone demanding personal information to receive federal funds or other assistance should immediately contact the Arkansas Attorney Generals Office by visiting _ArkansasAG.gov [ https://arkansasag.gov/ ]_ or call (800) 482-8982.

*About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge*

Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. Elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 13, 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected as Attorney General. She was resoundingly re-elected on November 6, 2018. Since taking office, she has significantly increased the number of arrests and convictions against online predators who exploit children and con artists who steal taxpayer money through Social Security Disability and Medicaid fraud. Further, she has held Rutledge Roundtable meetings and Mobile Office hours in every county of the State each year and launched a Military and Veterans Initiative. She has led efforts to roll back government regulations that hurt job creators, fight the opioid epidemic, teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves as co-chairs of the National Association of Attorneys General Veterans Affairs Committee, re-established and co-chairs the National Association of Attorneys General Committee on Agriculture and was the former Chairwoman of the National Association of Attorneys General Southern Region. As the former Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association, she remains active on the Executive Board.

A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have one daughter. The family has a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.