
Northern Minnesota Sheriff’s Office Issues Warning After Numerous Reports Of New Scam
A Northern Minnesota sheriff's office is warning the public of a scam that has been reported multiple times across parts of the region recently.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office issued a press release this week, letting Northlanders know that they have received a number of complaints of a specific type of scam.
These reports are actually somewhat like those being reported elsewhere in the Northland recently, but there's a new twist on these Northern Minnesota instances as well as information about a suspect in these scam attempts.
What is this new scam being reported in the Northland?
This is a new twist on a well-known scam, where someone will call a victim and ask for money to help while posing as a relative.
In the specific incidents being reported recently in St. Louis County, the scammer claims to be a relative (often a grandson) who is in jail. They ask for help, saying they need money for their bail and release.
The new twist is that someone will later show up posing as a courier to collect money "on behalf of the relative" from the residence of the victim they called.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says a number of victims have been taken for large sums of money in the past few days.
Where have these scam cases been reported?
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says they have received reports of the scam described above on the Iron Range.
Reports have specifically come from towns like Ely, Britt, and the Hibbing area this week.
What is known about the scammers?
Being someone is physically showing up to collect money from the victims of this scam, there is a description of at least one of the individuals involved.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says a report from an instance of this scam in Hibbing involved a Black male in his early 20s with short black hair. The individual is 5’10” or 11”, about 130 pounds with a skinny face.
The vehicle they showed up in is described as a white Chevrolet compact or smaller SUV with a black license plate, maybe 5-6 years old.
The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating and identifying this individual.
What else does the sheriff's office want the public to know?
Officials say this practice of someone calling for bail money and a person being sent to collect it is not a common practice. They say anyone who receives a call like this should hang up immediately or ignore the calls.
Furthermore, if you do receive a call like this, you are asked to report it by calling 911. If someone shows up at your home and makes demands like those described in the scam, you are asked to not answer the door if possible, get a good description of the person and their vehicle, and call 911.
Also, letting older friends and family members know about this scam is important, as it has often targeted individuals old enough to have grandchildren.
Minnesota Counties Bigger Than Entire States In The US
Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth
More From MIX 108








