St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Uptick In Scam Calls, Texts

Officials with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office put out a public alert yesterday that they've received a number of reports of scam calls and texts to people in the area, and they're alerting the public to be on the lookout.

A common theme to this flurry of scam calls and texts being reported around Northeastern Minnesota is that the scammer claims to be from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

In a media release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, they explain that a number of Northlanders have received calls or texts where the scammer is either claiming to be with the sheriff's office, or in some cases, claiming to be reaching out from the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth.

In both scenarios, the scammers made a demand for payment for a variety of different things including alleged unpaid parking tickets, to bail someone you know out of jail, or even threatening legal action or drivers license suspension if some alleged fine is not paid.

READ MORE: Minnesota Courts Are Warning Of A New Text-Based Scam Reported In The State

As is common with scams, they create a sense or urgency like in the cases mentioned above to get you to act. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office wants to let the public know that these calls and texts being received around the county are not legitimate.

They remind the public that law enforcement agencies do not contact members of the community to ask for payment over the phone or via a link sent through a text message.

If you get a call or text of this kind, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says you should never provide any kind of payment, whether it be in the form of cash, electronic payment like credit or debit card, gift card, or any other means. Furthermore, you should never click/tap on any links sent in messages of this kind.

If you are concerned you may actually have an outstanding fee, fine, or something else a scammer is alleging you do, you should separately reach out to the county court administration, county jail, or sheriff's office directly, using independently verified contact information. Never use contact information provided in a suspicious call or message.

Get our free mobile app

Finally, if you get a call or text like this and you'd like to report it, you are encouraged to do so by calling 911.