Phone scammers pretend to be from law enforcement, stealing money

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office warns of phone scammers pretending to be from law enforcement to steal money.

According to the police, the thieves say they are with the Warrants Division and identify themselves as Sgt. Jason Mitzel.

The caller allegedly says the victim must return a call to resolve a court action. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office generally does not collect warrants or fines over the phone. An individual would be asked to settle a warrant fee in person.

Any time you get a call from law enforcement demanding or soliciting money over the phone, you should be skeptical. Hang up and call law enforcement directly at (605) 394-6117.