Bemidji Area Law Enforcement Warns Public About Latest Scams with Presentation

When your phone rings, it may be instinctive to just pick it up and answer it. But with the thousands of scams going on right now, it’s important to check who is calling you before starting a conversation.

Several weeks ago, a “grandparent” scam made its way through the Bemidji area. Since then, Beltrami County has seen a massive upsurge of scam calls, texts, and emails. On Thursday evening, local law enforcement officers held a presentation at the Beltrami County Board Room to warn people about these dangers.

“Google is your friend. Google tells you lots of things,” said Bemidji Police Officer Tabitha Carrigan. “You can type in phone numbers into Google and they’ll often say, ‘this is spam,’ ‘related to spam,’ or ‘this number belongs to whomever.'”

The officers warned that if you aren’t sure about who is calling you, do not pick up the phone. If it is legitimate, they will leave a voicemail. With the current tax season underway, IRS scam numbers are way up.

“They [the IRS] are not going to call you,” said Beltrami County Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Ruport. “They’re going to send you mail. They’re not going to request information from you. If they do, it’s going to be by mail, with, you know, shipped from the IRS, with their address on an official letterhead. There are some out there that look pretty legit, but question everything. Contact them. Do your independent research.”

The public was also warned about online relationship scams, which are usually more long-term.

“They create an online identity to gain the victim’s love and trust,” explained Officer Carrigan. “The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim.”

Then the perpetrator will ask the victim to send them money. Officer Carrigan says to never send money to somebody you don’t know.

“With every scam, they’re going to use pressure,” Deputy Ruport added. “They’re going to use time constraints. They’re going to rush you and they’re going to try to get you to make these decisions without thinking it over. Threats and intimidation.”

Other very common scams are sent by email, text, or on social media platforms like Facebook. The biggest red flags to look out for on the URL for each link, which should always have ‘.org,’ ‘.gov,’ or ‘.com’ and never ‘.online’ or ‘.co.’ You should also always check for any misspellings or incorrect grammar, and don’t give out any personal information unless you are 100% sure who you are speaking to.

The longer you stay in communication with the scammers, the more dangerous it can be, as they will gather personal information or even steal your voice using AI. Cut off communication with scammers or any questionable people as soon as possible.

There will be another scam information session at Blackduck High School next Thursday, April 3rd.