Brookings Business Scammed by Someone Posing as Law Enforcement

Brookings police are investigating a scam that occurred late last week where the scam artist was posing as a member of the law enforcement community.

Dakota News Now reports the incident happened on Thursday (September 14) around 11:00 PM. The police report states that an employee at a business located in the northern part of Brookings received a phone call from a person posing as a member of the South Dakota State Police.

According to Dakota News Now, the scammer contacted the employee on duty via one of the phone lines at the Brookings business. The scam artist said he was part of a sting operation that was going on and told the employee that he needed their assistance in retrieving some stolen money.

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The suspect told the employee not to mention their phone conversation to any of his co-workers, and that the employee should call him back immediately on his own personal cell phone. Once the employee did, the scammer instructed the employee to take roughly $1200.00 cash from the business, drive to the Brookings Hy-Vee, and load a series of MoneyLink Cards with specified cash amounts.

Detective Adam Smith, with the Brookings Police Criminal Investigation Division, told Dakota News Now that the public should be on the lookout for similar type situations. He reminded citizens that they should never give anyone any personal information, account information, or purchase any type of money card, or gift card if requested to do so over the telephone.

Smith also said that law enforcement agencies will never contact anyone by telephone asking for personal, or account information, or payment of any kind to assist with police activities.

Dakota News Now reports that an investigation into Thursday's scamming incident in the city is ongoing. Police continue to actively search for the caller and the suspect's location.

More information as it becomes available.

Source: Dakota News Now