New Traffic Ticket Scam Targets Local Residents

Sigh. When I went on social media this morning, I saw yet another scam alert. This one was put out by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Upon further research, I noticed it is being reported by multiple law enforcement agencies.

Scams are nothing new but there always seems to be a new one popping up. This one was shared by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Thursday (May 7th), making it fresh.

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According to their warning, local residents have been receiving notices saying they have an outstanding traffic ticket or violation. Scammers create urgency by saying they must pay what they owe immediately.

When scammers are urgent like this, it causes the person who is being scammed to drop all caution and act on impulse, thinking they are in trouble and throwing caution to the wind.

The warning also reminds everyone that if you do have a citation or violation, you will not be notified of it by text message. That's a good way to tell that something is a scam so remember that in the future!

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They also urge locals who receive this message to report it by calling their police department directly. You should never click any links under any circumstance and you should absolutely never give anyone money over the phone in this way.

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The scammers used a fake county, a fake seal and has a few other laughable errors as well. However, when you think you owe someone money and may face consequences, you probably won't be looking that closely so I get it.

By the way, like I mentioned, this has also been reported across Minnesota as well. Stay safe out there!