Rice County Sheriff: New Twist on Old Scam

A new twist on a well-known scam has Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas reminding residents to be on alert for those who want to take advantage of others.

This week local residents have reported being called by someone who's identified themselves as a local attorney representing a family member of the victim needing money to bailed out of jail. What’s unusual in these cases is that the caller wants the money in cash and sends a second person to pick up a portion of the money at the victim’s home.

Subsequent payments have also been requested, with victims being out thousands of dollars. In one case, a resident made two payments totaling $15,000. While the scammer requested a third installment of $16,000, that payment wasn’t made.

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The scam, often known as the 'Grandparents Scam,' can be avoided by verifying a caller’s identity and resisting pressure to act before the caller’s identity is verified, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s website.

The Attorney General’s office recommends contacting a family member who could confirm the caller’s story before acting and/or asking the caller questions, the answers to which only the real family member would know.

Be attentive to whether the caller is answering in detail or just guessing the answers. While some fraudsters investigate their victims’ family to make their impersonations more accurate, many depend upon their intended victims providing necessary information over the phone.

Law enforcement recommend resisting pressure to act quickly and to be skeptical of any call in which a person claim there is an emergency, desires secrecy and asks for money — whether in cash, gift cards or wire transfers.

The Attorney General's office recommends, "If you receive a fraudulent phone call, try to trace the call. Also, you should promptly file a criminal complaint. You can initiate call tracing by dialing *57 after you hang up from a fraudulent phone call. When you do that, the caller’s phone number will be forwarded and recorded at the phone company’s call identification center. You should then contact your local law enforcement agency to file a complaint."

Be safe, be alert, and beware.