New Warning From St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office About Scam Calls

Despite some people thinking the Northland is relatively safe from the issues of "big city" problems like scams, there continues to be a number of scammers targeting people across the region.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office recently issued a new alert about a number of people reporting scam attempts you need to be aware of.

This new one is the latest in a string of scams this year seen across Northern Minnesota, including one from this summer where a scammer would pose as a St. Louis County Planning & Zoning staff member, or another from the early part of this year, where someone would stop by to collect money following up after a call from a scammer posing as a relative in need.

Last week, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office put out an alert, saying that a number of people in the county have reported receiving a call from someone posing as a law enforcement officer. In many reported instances, the scammer was posing as a member of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, adding what some might see as an extra level of credibility, as some scams tend to be pretty generic in nature.

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In the case of this most recent rash of scam calls, the scammer will call and demand payment for one of a variety of reported reasons. Some of the reported reasons include failing to appear for witness testimony or a missed court date.

As county officials highlight, law enforcement will never call to ask for payment over the phone in this way.

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The same can be said about receiving demands for payment through other means of communication. Sometimes these scam requests can come via email, for example.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office asks anyone who receives a call of this nature not to provide payment if you receive communication like this, and if you suspect you may actually have a payment for a fine or something of that nature, you should contact court administration using a verified phone number or by making an in-person stop.

They also say if you receive a call of this nature, you can report it by calling 911.

Doing this, even if you don't fall victim to the scam yourself, can help law enforcement keep track of scams in the area and keep the public alert to them.