New scam message targets people in the metro, Cass County Sheriff explains what to do

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — This letter, sent to a recipient, shows that they received a final notice with a court enforcement action for an outstanding traffic violation. But, while it may look like an official notice, Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner says otherwise.

“The way that this thing presents is that it says that it comes from the state of North Dakota, but it shows a South Dakota state emblem. So right off the bat, we see that there is a difference in what’s being presented with the information. And then it also lists Minnehaha County, which isn’t in North Dakota; it’s in South Dakota,” says Jahner.

The notice is being sent to people around the region, including the sheriff.

“If it tells you that you need to go to the courthouse, sometimes the address won’t match with where the actual courthouse is located in our county…things like links or QR codes that show on here, that’s not something that we typically would be presented from Cass County Courthouse in reference to a traffic violation or anything in that nature,” says Jahner.

Jahner says the county has seen an increase over the last several years in scam messages. And with the world more involved in technology, it is harder to hide your information.

“We all really need to do our due diligence in making sure that we’re monitoring our credit reports, we’re monitoring our bank statements, and if we see something suspicious on there that we’re checking into those things right away because really that’s our best source of protecting ourselves,” says Jahner.

If you think you have received a scam text, you can contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 241-5800 to speak with the patrol division or investigative division. Or contact dispatch 701-451-7660.

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