MINNEAPOLIS — Scammers don't take the summer off. In fact, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said residents are being targeted by multiple scams with callers impersonating deputies and trying to scare people into forking over money or personal information.
Among the narratives being used in the rash of phone scams:
- Someone impersonating a deputy and using the real name of someone from the HCSO called allegedly regarding a court case, and said the victim must call back before they are arrested. The call-back number went to an official-sounding voicemail saying that callers have reached the Sheriff's Office Data Practices center, and demands were made.
- A caller targeted people who are leaving jail custody, saying they are a sergeant requesting payment from a kiosk to cover the cost of ankle monitoring. The scammer then threatened the victim will be re-arrested if they don't comply.
- Victims were contacted by phone by someone saying the victim missed jury duty and now there is a warrant for their arrest. The caller threatened that deputies are on their way to take the victim into custody if they don’t pay.
HCSO reminds residents that staff or deputies will never ask for money or payment over the phone, will not call about a warrant and will not threaten to make an arrest over the phone if the caller does not comply with demands. The office advised to never give personal information over the phone to someone you do not know, especially social security numbers or credit card information.
If you are targeted by a scam call, sheriff's officials request that you save the scammer's number and report it to law enforcement.
