Polk County, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) — Authorities are warning the public about an alarming phone scam that is gaining traction in Polk County, involving spoofed phone numbers and impersonated law enforcement officers.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, several residents have reported receiving scam calls from individuals who falsely claim to be Sheriff’s Office employees. The caller ID displays the Sheriff’s Office’s actual phone number, 218-281-0431, in an attempt to appear legitimate.
In these calls, the scammer identifies himself as Sgt. Hibma—a real member of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office—and falsely claims the recipient missed jury duty. The caller then demands payment of a fine to avoid arrest or jail time.
This is a SCAM.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will never collect fines or fees over the phone or in person for missed jury duty or any other reason.
Residents are urged to hang up immediately and report any suspicious calls to local law enforcement.
Did you know?
This type of scam is called “spoofing”, where scammers fake caller IDs to appear credible.
Law enforcement agencies never request payment through gift cards, phone apps, or cash transfers.
The FTC ranks jury duty scams among the top impersonation fraud schemes in the U.S.
If you receive a similar call, do not provide any personal information or payment. You can report scam calls to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office or file a complaint through the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.