South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning the public about recurring fraudulent phone calls threatening citizens with arrest warrants or fines if they fail to comply with a court-ordered action.
The most recent scam call was reported this week in Minnehaha County, where a citizen received a call from someone claiming to be an officer with the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. The “officer” stated that the citizen had failed his juror duty and now a warrant had been issued in his name. The alleged officer threatened the person with a $4,500 bail bond. The citizen later spoke to the person again, but did not pay any money.
“Serving on a citizen’s jury is one of the most important ways to protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Do not fall for these scams and contact either the Sheriff’s Office or the Attorney General’s Office with any questions.”
According to Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, such scams are not just about the requirement to attend a jury trial. “What makes these calls even more insidious is that the caller ID shows the actual phone number of the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office and the name of the alleged officer used by the scammer is the name of a real sheriff’s employee,” he said.
Here are tips from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division on how to deal with such scam calls:
- Keep in mind that spammers may spoof the phone number they are calling from to make it appear that the call is actually coming from a law enforcement agency.
- Be careful when answering a call from a phone number you don’t recognize.
- If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call law enforcement at their official number. Do not trust any phone number you may be given.
- Don’t fall for aggressive tactics or threats asking for money.
- Never give out personal or financial information over the phone.
- Do not deposit a check and then wire the money.
- Hang up on robocalls.
- Before giving money or personal information to someone who contacts you, talk to someone you trust.
“The person who received this fraudulent call did the right thing,” said Attorney General Jackley. “She took notes during the conversation with the fraudster, researched the names and numbers provided, and then called the police.”
Consumers who believe they have been victims of any type of fraud should contact the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov/.
