The Patriot received another phone call this week from a concerned citizen who almost fell for a phone scam that resulted in the persons withdrawing a large sum of money from their bank account to pay for the release of their child from jail after she had been purported to have been in a car accident that caused the death of an infant.
The caller told the Patriot they were told by a law enforcement person that their daughter had been involved in a crash that caused the death of a baby and she was at the Sherburne County jail waiting to be picked up. The “officer” told the parent they would need to pay the $15,000 bail payment to have her released.
Fortunately, the parents did not transfer any funds to this caller but instead rushed to the jail only to find out their daughter was not being held there and was not in an accident.
These scams are becoming all too common.
Other Incidents
Back on Nov. 7, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office took numerous calls from a concerned citizen who had been called by a male claiming to be a sergeant from the sheriff’s office. This person requested a call back from a number that was not a Buffalo phone number (763-341-3042.) The reporting person did the right thing and called their local police office.
The Buffalo Police Dept. is also investigating a similar call. Remember that local deputies may call from time to time during an investigation. However, if one is not expecting a call from a deputy and are ever in doubt, contact the WCPD office at 763-682-1162 or their non-emergency dispatch number at 763-682-7600.
Back in early November, the Patriot ran a story in which Wright County Court Administration has received reports from residents who have been contacted by persons claiming to be from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office asking why they missed their jury service and asking for additional personal, private information.
One of the persons involved in one of those calls nearly fell for the demand to pay the criminal and civil charges in relation to the arrest warrant claim.
Wright County said to be aware that the Sheriff’s Office does not call residents regarding jury service nor will Wright County District Court call residents for the purpose of seeking personal information.
If one receives a call regarding jury service and one suspects the call to be fake, hang up and call Wright County District Court at (763) 760-6299 for assistance.
Remember the Following:
Law enforcement agencies do not call for cash. Law enforcement never calls or emails persons about paying them money. The scammers might say you’ll be arrested, fined, or deported if you don’t pay taxes or some other debt right away. The goal is to scare the person into paying. But real law enforcement agencies will not call and threaten you.
How Scammers Pose As Law Enforcement
• Demanding payment for a missed court date, jury duty, or other legal matter;
• Claiming there is a warrant for your arrest;
• Threatening arrest unless you pay a fine;
• Directing you to buy a prepaid money transfer card and provide the card number;
• Disguising the phone number so it appears valid on caller ID.
Protect Yourself
• Refuse to give the scammer any information;
• Do not send any payments;
• Hang up and do not trust that caller ID shows their real identity;
• Record their number and save any voicemails;
• Find the real number and call the law enforcement agency the scammer claimed to represent.
Stay Vigilant
Some scammers are now accessing AI technology where they can impersonate one’s family and friends using the technology to ask one for money or personal information. They do this by manipulating videos and recordings found on social media to produce realistic sounding voice recordings or even videos.
These are called voice cloning or deepfakes. During these scams, you’ll typically receive a call from what sounds like a panicked loved one asking for money.
Report the scam online to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or local law enforcement. The FTC will use one’s report to investigate and bring cases against other frauds, scams, and bad business practices.
