BROOKINGS – Scammers are out in force this season, and the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware and not fall for the scams.
“Recently the Sheriff’s Office has taken multiple reports of individuals receiving calls from scammers pretending to be Brookings County deputies as well as Homeland Security personnel,” Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring said.
“These scammers are informing residents they have warrants and are requesting payment over the phone. The scammers are attempting to get personal identification information from community members including, address, date of birth and social security numbers. They have also attempted to retrieve banking information,” Sebring said.
Law enforcement officers enforce the law; they do not collect payments.
“A deputy sheriff will not ask for credit card information or attempt to take a payment over the phone. We would also like to remind residents, if a person is attempting to receive payment via gift card, it is a good indication of a scam,” Sebring said.
Always pay bills by a trackable means: credit or debit card or check. That way you have proof you paid the bill. Gift cards are untraceable; that’s why scammers demand payment by gift card.
“We are also reminding residents of Brookings County to never give banking information out or personal identification information such as date of birth and Social Security number,” Sebring said.
Recent scams investigated by the Brookings County…
