06/24/2026
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department continues to receive a lot of complaints from citizens being scammed. Many of our investigations reveal that the criminals orchestrating these scams are located in foreign countries. That means most of the time we can’t trace or recover your money, or arrest the perpetrator(s).
Currently our Detectives are struggling to keep up with the number of cases we are receiving, so we feel it is necessary to put some information out there, again, as a reminder. If you don’t want to get scammed, please follow these tips:
• Never give out personal information such as your Social Security number, bank account, passwords, or one-time verification codes unless you initiated the contact and know who you're dealing with. No legitimate organizations will call you and ask you for your personal information. Remember it like this; if you are already doing business with them, they already have that information. They don’t need to ask you for it.
• Government agencies will not demand immediate payment. Furthermore, they will not request payment by gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps.
• Don't trust caller ID. Phone numbers can be spoofed to appear as if they're from law enforcement, a bank, or another trusted organization.
• Verify independently. If someone claims to represent your bank, a government agency, or a family member, hang up and contact them using a phone number you know is legitimate.
• Be cautious of unexpected texts, emails, and pop-up messages asking you to click links or download attachments.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be skeptical of prize notifications, investment opportunities, and online romance requests involving money.
• Law enforcement agencies will never call and demand payment to avoid arrest, pay a warrant, miss jury duty, or resolve a criminal investigation.
• Beware of AI (Artificial Intelligence). It can be used to play on your emotions, to simulate a loved one’s voice on the phone, or in photos or videos, who frantically claim to need money for one reason or another. If you get one of these calls, hang up and call them back on their phone number.
⚠️ Remember: Talk to someone you trust before sending money if you have any doubts. Slow down. Scammers want you to act quickly. Take time to verify before sending money or sharing information.
To our younger people out there with older parents, make sure you are communicating with your parents about their finances and where they are spending their money. The elderly population has been especially susceptible to scams.
Don’t get duped. Spread the word and help us eliminate fraud in Barron County.
