There has been an increase in scam phone calls, emails, and text messages recently. Residents should remain vigilant and not respond to these scams. The Publishers Clearing House scam has affected many residents, causing significant financial loss. There are also many other scams being attempted due to the crisis in Ukraine and tax season.
Please remember that no legitimate sweepstakes, lottery, government agency or business will ask you for personal information, banking information, or to pay up front taxes on a prize. Do not answer unknown calls, respond to unknown text messages or emails, and never click on a link in a text message or email. If you think it may be a legitimate entity trying to contact you, do your own research, look up the phone number for the entity, and call them yourself to inquire if someone is trying to reach you.
If you believe that you have been a victim of a scam, please call 9-1-1 and file a report with your local police department. For more information about scams please check the websites for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or the Federal Trade Commission.