Kansas Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Your Right to Sue (2026)

Kansas lets a scam victim who counts as a "consumer" sue a "supplier" that used a deceptive or unconscionable practice in a consumer transaction. Under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), that consumer recovers the greater of their actual damages or a civil penalty set by the court of up to $10,000 per violation. Older adults, people with disabilities, veterans and service members get an added remedy that can include punitive damages. The limit: the act is written around businesses and sellers, and whether it reaches an impostor who sold you nothing is an open question.

Kansas also regulates crypto ATMs. Since July 1, 2026, virtual currency kiosk operators must cap how much a new customer can send, show a scam warning before every transaction, and in some cases refund a fraud victim's early transactions. Complaints about scams go to the Kansas Attorney General, whose Consumer Protection Division investigates and mediates but is not your private lawyer.

Information last verified on October 2, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers Kansas state law: the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, Kansas complaint offices, Kansas protections for older and dependent adults, the 2026 Kansas crypto kiosk and bank-hold law (HB 2591), and Kansas court limits and deadlines. Federal refund and reporting rights are summarized briefly and covered in depth on our national guides. Out of scope: criminal defense, and the law of other states (if the scammer or business is elsewhere, that state's law may also matter).

First steps if you were scammed in Kansas

Call the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company or crypto exchange that moved your money right away. That company is usually the only one that can stop or reverse a payment, and your federal rights depend on how you paid. Our guide on how to get money back after a scam walks through each payment method, and the Zelle and payment app guide covers app transfers.

Then report the scam. Most scams go to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and online crime to the FBI's IC3; our where to report a scam guide lists every federal channel. The Kansas offices below are in addition to those. If you paid through a crypto ATM, read the kiosk section below before the 30-day reporting window passes.

Where to report a scam in Kansas

The Attorney General describes its role this way: "This Division investigates scams, mediates and prosecutes violations of: the Consumer Protection Act, the No-Call Act, the Roofing Registration Act, the Charitable Organization and Solicitations Act," among other laws. It also sets expectations plainly: "We are not able to provide private legal advice and not every dispute falls under our jurisdiction. Please contact a private attorney to assist with these matters." The office points readers to the Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service and Kansas Legal Services.

The Department of Insurance asks you, before filing a securities complaint, to contact your broker-dealer or investment adviser to confirm your concern "is not considered a typical market loss." For investment scams that started online or on social media, see our guide to crypto and investment scams.

Kansas's consumer protection law: can you sue?

Yes, if your case fits the act. The KCPA gives a private lawsuit to a "consumer" harmed by a "supplier." Section 50-634(b) sets the money remedy:

"A consumer who is aggrieved by a violation of this act may recover, but not in a class action, damages or a civil penalty as provided in subsection (a) of K.S.A. 50-636 and amendments thereto, whichever is greater."

Who can sue, and who can be sued

The definitions in K.S.A. 50-624 decide this. A "consumer" is "an individual, husband and wife, sole proprietor, or family partnership who seeks or acquires property or services for personal, family, household, business or agricultural purposes." A "consumer transaction" is "a sale, lease, assignment or other disposition for value of property or services within this state, except insurance contracts regulated under state law, to a consumer; or a solicitation by a supplier with respect to any of these dispositions."

The other side must be a "supplier," meaning "a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, seller, lessor, assignor, or other person who, in the ordinary course of business, solicits, engages in or enforces consumer transactions, whether or not dealing directly with the consumer."

That fits a scam run through a fake or dishonest business that sold you something, or solicited you to buy something, such as a bogus repair, a phony subscription or an overpriced service. It is less clear for a pure impostor scam, such as a romance scammer or a fake government agent who simply talked you into sending money and sold you nothing. Whether a court would treat that as a "consumer transaction" with a "supplier" is an open question this guide could not resolve, so do not assume the KCPA covers it. A Kansas lawyer can tell you whether your facts fit.

What counts as a violation

Section 50-626(a) says: "No supplier shall engage in any deceptive act or practice in connection with a consumer transaction." Its examples include a supplier claiming "a sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation or connection that the supplier does not have," and "the willful use, in any oral or written representation, of exaggeration, falsehood, innuendo or ambiguity as to a material fact" or "the willful failure to state a material fact." Note the word "willful" in those last two examples.

Section 50-627(a) separately bars any "unconscionable act or practice in connection with a consumer transaction." One factor it lists is whether the supplier took advantage of a consumer's "physical infirmity, ignorance, illiteracy, inability to understand the language of an agreement or similar factor," which often describes how scams target older people and people reading in a second language.

The act has exclusions. Insurance contracts regulated under state law are outside the definition of a consumer transaction. Under K.S.A. 50-635(a), the act does not apply to a publisher, broadcaster, printer or other person who disseminated information on behalf of others "without actual knowledge" that it violated the act, so the outlet that merely carried a scam ad is generally not the defendant.

What you can recover

The civil penalty is set in K.S.A. 50-636(a): a sum set by the court "of not more than $10,000 for each violation." Read with section 50-634(b), a consumer who sues gets whichever is greater, actual damages or that penalty. Three points matter:

1. It is a ceiling, not a set amount. The court decides the penalty, up to $10,000 per violation; the statute sets no minimum.
2. No triple damages. Sections 50-634 and 50-636 do not provide for multiplying damages.
3. No class-action damages in most cases. Under section 50-634(d), damages in a class action are available only for violations of certain listed sections (including the door-to-door rules below), or after a published final judgment or a consent judgment. Most victims sue individually.

When the Attorney General or a county or district attorney sues and collects the penalty, it goes into the state or county general fund, not to victims (K.S.A. 50-636(c)). The court can also grant a consumer a declaratory judgment or an injunction (K.S.A. 50-634(a)).

Attorney fees can run both ways

Section 50-634(e) says the court "may award to the prevailing party reasonable attorney fees" if "a supplier has committed an act or practice that violates this act and the prevailing party is the consumer," or if the consumer "has brought or maintained an action the consumer knew to be groundless and the prevailing party is the supplier." The word is "may": fees are up to the judge, not automatic, even for a consumer who wins. And a consumer who presses a case they know is groundless risks paying the business's fees.

Notice and deadlines

Section 50-634 itself contains no pre-suit demand-letter requirement. Section 50-634(g) addresses notifying the Attorney General of the lawsuit, and says a failure to do so "shall not provide a defendant a defense."

The KCPA's remedy sections do not state a filing deadline, but Kansas courts apply the three-year limit in K.S.A. 60-512(2) to KCPA claims for damages, including a civil penalty claim brought together with a damages claim (Alexander v. Certified Master Builders Corp., 268 Kan. 812 (2000)), and the Kansas Court of Appeals has held that the discovery rule used for fraud claims does not apply to them (Four Seasons Apartments v. AAA Glass Service, 37 Kan. App. 2d 248 (2007)). A claim for the civil penalty alone may face the one-year limit for statutory penalties in K.S.A. 60-514(c). Do not wait; if you are considering a suit, talk to a Kansas lawyer early.

Protections for older adults in Kansas

It is a crime, whoever does it. K.S.A. 21-5417 makes it mistreatment of an elder person (60 or older) or a dependent adult to take their "personal property or financial resources ... for the benefit of the defendant or another person" through "undue influence, coercion, harassment, duress, deception, false representation, false pretense or without adequate consideration." That route does not require a caregiver, a power of attorney or any position of trust, so it can reach a stranger running a scam. The grade depends on the amount: under $1,500 is a class A person misdemeanor (a severity level 7 person felony with two or more prior convictions within five years), and the offense rises through the felony levels up to a severity level 2 person felony at $1,000,000 or more.

Reporting. K.S.A. 39-1431 lists mandated reporters, including "bank trust officers or any other officers of financial institutions," who must report when they have reasonable cause to suspect an adult is being harmed by financial exploitation; a knowing failure to report is a class B misdemeanor. Anyone else who suspects it "may report such information to the Kansas department for children and families." Our elder fraud guide covers federal routes, including the DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311 for fraud against anyone 60 or older.

An extra KCPA remedy. Kansas gives "protected consumers" more under K.S.A. 50-676 through 50-679. A protected consumer is a person 60 or older, a disabled person, a veteran, a veteran's surviving spouse, a member of the armed forces, or an immediate family member of a member of the armed forces. Section 50-679 says:

"A protected consumer who suffers damage or injury as a result of a violation of the Kansas consumer protection act has a cause of action to recover actual damages, punitive damages, if appropriate, and reasonable attorney fees."

This still requires a KCPA violation, so the supplier and consumer-transaction questions above still apply. The same section says restitution ordered under it "has priority over a civil penalty imposed pursuant to K.S.A. 50-677."

Section 50-677 lets a court impose "an additional civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each such violation" when a KCPA violation is committed against a protected consumer. The statute does not say who receives that additional penalty. A federal court in Kansas has declined to bar a consumer suing privately from recovering it (Lowe v. Surpas Resource Corp., 253 F. Supp. 2d 1209 (D. Kan. 2003)), but whether to impose it, and how much, is up to the court. In setting it, the court must consider factors listed in section 50-678, such as whether the violator knew or should have known the conduct was aimed at a protected consumer, and whether the victim lost pension or retirement funds or a primary residence.

Holds at investment firms. Under a 2024 law, Kansas broker-dealers and investment advisers that reasonably believe a transaction "may further financial exploitation" of a person 60 or older or a dependent adult may delay it (K.S.A. 39-1450). They must give written notice within two business days, and the delay generally ends no later than 15 business days after it started, extendable by a protective agency to not more than 25 business days or by court order.

Holds at banks and credit unions (2026 HB 2591). A 2026 law approved by the governor on April 9, 2026 lets a bank, savings bank, savings and loan association, trust company or credit union report suspected financial exploitation of any adult (18 or older) to law enforcement or DCF, and notify a trusted contact the customer named. If it has reported and reasonably believes a transaction "may further the financial exploitation of an adult account holder," it may, with management approval, place a temporary hold "for up to 10 business days." An investigating agency can ask for an extension of up to 30 more business days, and a court can extend further. The hold is optional, and it cannot be based solely on the customer's age or perceived vulnerability, the size, frequency or timing of the transaction, or the customer's refusal to give more information.

The bill says these provisions take effect on publication in the Kansas Register, and it was published there on April 30, 2026. The hold is optional, so ask your bank whether it uses it. If you are worried about a parent's account, telling the bank directly that you suspect a scam is what gives it reason to act.

Kansas scam laws on the books

Crypto ATMs: the Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act

Kansas enacted kiosk rules in 2026 HB 2591, approved by the governor on April 9, 2026; the enrolled bill says its kiosk sections take effect on and after July 1, 2026. The sections had not been assigned K.S.A. numbers in the sources checked for this guide, so they are cited by bill. (A different 2026 bill, HB 2515, was introduced with kiosk language but ended as a "legal tender" bill and was vetoed; it is not the kiosk law.) The main rules:

• Limits for new customers. The first transaction is capped at $1,000. During the first 14 days, a new customer may send up to $1,000 per day, only one transaction within 72 hours of the first, and no more than $10,000 in total. After 14 days the cap is $10,500 per day.
• A 72-hour hold. The operator must hold funds for 72 hours on transactions made within 14 days of a new customer's first transaction.
• A warning before every transaction. The screen must show a warning that begins "WARNING: CONSUMER FRAUD OFTEN STARTS WITH CONTACT FROM A STRANGER WHO IS INITIATING A DISHONEST SCHEME" and ends "IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT." A Spanish version is required if the operator agrees to conduct the transaction in Spanish.
• A fee cap. Charges, including the spread, cannot exceed the greater of $5 or 18% of the amount sent.
• Other duties. Operators must use blockchain analytics to block sends to wallets known to be tied to fraud, offer live toll-free customer service during operating hours, and be licensed as money transmitters.

Refunds. The act gives three refund rights:

1. Any reason, early. Any person in Kansas may request a full refund of their initial transaction "for any reason" within the holding period.
2. New customers who were defrauded. For the initial transaction, or any transaction within 14 days of it, a fraud victim can get back "the full money transmission amount and any fees" if they report the fraud to the State Bank Commissioner, the Attorney General or a law enforcement agency "within 30 calendar days after the date of the last fraudulent money transmission" and give the operator "a police report or a sworn declaration."
3. Existing customers who were defrauded. For a customer past the first 14 days, the refund covers only the operator's charges, including any spread and transaction fees, on the same 30-day reporting and documentation conditions.

Refunds are due within 10 business days, though an operator may delay for cause if it reasonably suspects fraud or wrongdoing by someone acting on behalf of the person who made the transaction and immediately reports it to the State Bank Commissioner, the Attorney General or law enforcement. The act also says its warnings "shall not affect or prevent a fraud victim's ability to be eligible for a refund." The Attorney General and law enforcement may investigate fraudulent kiosk transfers. This guide did not verify whether the act creates a separate right to sue the operator. For how crypto ATM scams usually unfold, see our crypto and investment scams guide.

Door-to-door sales: three business days to cancel

Under K.S.A. 50-640, "a consumer has the right to cancel a door-to-door sale made within this state until midnight of the third business day." The rule applies to sales of $25 or more. If the pitch was made mainly in Spanish (or another language), the required notices must be "in the same language ... as that principally used in the oral sales presentation." A violation of these requirements is a deceptive act under the KCPA.

Telemarketing and the no-call list

Telephone solicitors in Kansas must check numbers against the no-call list, and "Any violation of this section is an unconscionable act or practice under the Kansas consumer protection act" (K.S.A. 50-670a(g)). Kansas directs people who want to register their number to the FTC's national no-call list. For calls, texts and emails that impersonate a company, see our phishing, smishing and vishing guide.

Notarios and immigration help

Under K.S.A. 53-5a25, a Kansas notary commission does not authorize anyone to act as "an immigration consultant or an expert on immigration matters," and a notary who is not a lawyer "may not use the term 'notario' or 'notario publico' or any equivalent non-English term" in any business card, advertisement, notice or sign. Advertisements by non-lawyer notaries must carry a disclaimer in each language used. See our guide to notario fraud.

Suing a scammer or a business in Kansas

Small claims court. A "small claim" in Kansas is a claim for money or personal property that "does not exceed $10,000, exclusive of interest, costs and any damages awarded pursuant to K.S.A. 60-2610" (K.S.A. 61-2703(a)). Claims that were assigned to someone else are excluded. That is the usual place for a modest claim against a business or an individual you can identify and serve.

Deadlines. Under K.S.A. 60-513(a)(3), "An action for relief on the ground of fraud" must be brought within two years, "but the cause of action shall not be deemed to have accrued until the fraud is discovered." The same statute also has an outer time limit for some claims; ask a Kansas lawyer how it applies to your dates. Our Kansas statute of limitations guide covers other civil deadlines.

Who you can actually reach. A lawsuit works against a person or business with a name, an address and assets. A scammer behind a fake identity, a spoofed number or an overseas account is usually not reachable through a Kansas court, and a judgment does not help if nobody can be found to pay it. In those cases the payment company, a fast report to law enforcement, and protecting your identity are where your effort pays off. Our guide on when a lawyer helps after a scam explains which cases are worth a consultation. If the scammer has your personal details, see Kansas identity theft laws, and if a collector is pursuing a debt tied to a scam, see Kansas debt collection laws.

Related guides

• Scams and fraud: your rights and where to start
• How to get money back after a scam
• Where to report a scam
• Elder fraud
• Crypto and investment scams
• Romance scams
• Zelle and payment app scams
• Kansas identity theft laws
• Kansas debt collection laws
• Kansas statute of limitations

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

This article provides general legal information about Kansas law as verified on October 2, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your bank or payment company, the Kansas office named above, or a lawyer licensed in Kansas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue a scammer in Kansas?

Possibly, if you are a consumer under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, the scammer acted as a supplier in a consumer transaction, and you can identify and serve them. Whether the act covers a pure impostor who sold you nothing is unsettled, and an anonymous or overseas scammer is usually not reachable through a Kansas court.

How much can I recover under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act?

A consumer aggrieved by a supplier's violation recovers the greater of actual damages or a civil penalty set by the court of up to $10,000 per violation (K.S.A. 50-634(b) and 50-636(a)). The penalty is a ceiling with no minimum, and the act has no triple-damages provision.

Does the KCPA pay my attorney fees?

Maybe. Under K.S.A. 50-634(e) the court may award reasonable fees to a prevailing consumer when the supplier violated the act. It may also order a consumer who knowingly brought a groundless case to pay the supplier's fees.

Do older Kansans get extra protection from scams?

Yes. A protected consumer, including anyone 60 or older, harmed by a KCPA violation may sue for actual damages, punitive damages if appropriate, and reasonable attorney fees (K.S.A. 50-679). A court may also add a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation under K.S.A. 50-677, but it is up to the court, and the statute does not say who receives it.

Is scamming an elderly person a crime in Kansas?

Yes. Taking the money or property of someone 60 or older through deception, false representation or false pretense is mistreatment of an elder person under K.S.A. 21-5417, whoever the offender is. It ranges from a class A person misdemeanor to a severity level 2 person felony, depending on the amount.

Where do I report a scam in Kansas?

File a consumer complaint with the Kansas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division online. Bank, money transmitter and crypto ATM problems go to the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, and investment fraud to the Kansas Department of Insurance.

Will the Kansas Attorney General get my money back?

Do not count on it. The office investigates scams and mediates and prosecutes violations, but says it cannot give private legal advice and that not every dispute falls under its jurisdiction. Contact your payment company first.

Can I get a refund from a Kansas crypto ATM after a scam?

Possibly. Since July 1, 2026, a fraud victim can get the full amount and fees back for a first transaction or any made within 14 days of it, if they report the fraud to the State Bank Commissioner, the Attorney General or law enforcement within 30 days and give the operator a police report or sworn declaration. Existing customers can recover only the operator's charges.

Can a Kansas bank freeze a transaction if it suspects a scam?

Under 2026 HB 2591, a bank or credit union that has reported suspected financial exploitation of an adult may hold the reported transaction for up to 10 business days, with possible extensions. The hold is optional. That part of the law took effect on April 30, 2026, when the bill was published in the Kansas Register.

What is the small claims limit in Kansas?

Up to $10,000, excluding interest, costs and certain damages, under K.S.A. 61-2703(a).

How long do I have to sue for fraud in Kansas?

Generally two years, and the claim does not accrue until the fraud is discovered (K.S.A. 60-513(a)(3)). A KCPA claim for damages generally has a three-year deadline under K.S.A. 60-512(2) that does not wait for you to discover the violation, and a claim for the civil penalty alone may have only one year (K.S.A. 60-514(c)), so ask a Kansas lawyer early.