Cass County Sheriff’s Office Warns of Escalating Scam Attempts

Sheriff Jesse Jahner says that phone scams are nothing new; however, he's concerned about a recent trend where scammers appear to be trying to meet their victims in person.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about scammers who may be pretending to be law enforcement officials and who appear to be escalating with their tactics.

The office says that scammers, often using a falsified phone number to appear as if their call is coming from the Sheriff’s Office, will contact family members of incarcerated persons and ask for money for diversion programs.

They also may randomly call other citizens and tell them they have an outstanding warrant or a citation that needs to be paid.

The office says they are currently actively investigating about 10 such cases of fraud, where a member of the community sent money to a scammer.

Even more worrying – Sheriff Jesse Jahner says that the scammers are now being so brazen as to ask their targets to meet them in person with the money.

“Those are really starting to concern me as the Sheriff, and for public safety, because if that person is actually there, and we have one of our citizens who drives to meet them, and they have money with them, I think we all know what the outcome could potentially be of that, right?” said Jahner. “This person gets assaulted and this person robs them.”

Sheriff Jahner is asking the public that if you receive a call like this and something feels off, do not hesitate to hang up and call the department or to go to the sheriff’s office in person to make sure you’re not being scammed.

Also, do not under any circumstances agree to meet an unknown person with payment for these types of services.