09/02/2026
⚠️🚗 LOCAL BROWN COUNTY BUSINESS SCAM ALERT 🚜⚠️
Sleepy Eye and surrounding businesses: particularly automotive/trucking, agricultural parts and repair shops, should be aware of a recently reported scam involving large phone orders.
The scam may look like this:
• A customer places a large order by phone, such as a substantial quantity of tires or other parts.
• Payment is made using a credit card.
• The customer arranges for a delivery service or third-party driver to pick up the merchandise.
• After the items have been released, the credit card is discovered to be stolen or fraudulent.
The merchandise is gone, the payment is reversed, and the local business may still be responsible for paying its supplier.
Please use extra caution with unusually large phone orders, unfamiliar customers, rushed transactions, and orders involving third-party pickup. Verify the purchaser, payment method, and pickup arrangements before releasing merchandise, even if the card initially appears to process successfully.
If a transaction feels suspicious, pause the sale and contact the local law enforcement in your community for guidance.
Please share this information with your employees and other area businesses. A few extra minutes of verification could prevent a significant financial loss.
