Minnesota Police Department Warns Of Another Phone Scam
There's another scam going around in Minnesota you need to be aware of. Scams are nothing new but there have been quite a few going around as of late and now I have stumbled across another one you should be aware of, as it could happen anywhere in the state.
Phone scams are common and that's exactly what this one is, with a little twist. This particular scam is happening in the St. Louis Park area, with the local police department there sharing details of it on Facebook to warn locals.
According to their post, the scammer reaches out by phone and tells the person who answers that they are in trouble. As someone who was just summoned for jury duty and knew nothing about it, I would probably believe one of their ruses. The scammer says you forgot to appear in court or that you have a warrant out for your arrest.
This creates panic and appears real, as scammers have now found a way to make it appear like the call is actually coming from the police department. As always, once the scammer creates panic, they say you can make it right with a payment and we all know what happens from there.
The St. Louis Park Police Department says the scammers ask you to make a payment in lieu of being let off the hook with a credit card or gift card. Obviously, this is a scam. Any time someone mentions payment with a gift card, it is likely a scam.
Be wary if you receive a call like this, as the St. Louis Park PD says that scammers have real information on everyone they call. Pairing this with the fact that they are able to spoof the incoming call number to make it look like it is coming from the official agency, this scam is a recipe for disaster.
As someone who was just summoned for jury duty, I had no idea about how a lot of these court processes work. I learned that you will be summoned by mail and not by phone and you don't have to pay if you miss it, for example.
If you get a call like this, reach out to the St. Louis Park Police Department. You can always hang up if you think a call is a scam or even suspect it and take a moment to verify who the person is on the other end of the line. Be careful out there!