South Dakota Attorney General Issues Scam Warning Reminder

A recent incident that saw a South Dakota couple lose more than $300,000 to an online scammer has prompted the state's highest ranking law enforcement official to issue some important reminders to make sure you aren't the next victim.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is urging South Dakotans to stay alert when dealing with internet and telephone scams. He says you should never provide personal or financial information via the internet or telephone.

Other important things to remember:

• Do not click onto pop-up messages that appear on laptop computers
• Be careful with links and websites, malicious websites can look similar to legitimate ones
• Organizations and government agencies do not ask for money by telephone or on the internet, and they will never ask to be paid using Bitcoin or gift cards
• Do not give into high pressured sales tactics
• Hang up on robocalls
• Do not deposit a check and then wire money
• Treat calls or emails demanding immediate action with suspicion
• Talk to someone you can trust before you provide money or personal information to someone who contacts you

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The warnings come after the recent indictment of a California man in an internet scam where at least $325,000 was allegedly stolen from a Lawrence County couple. In that case, the couple received pop-up messages on their laptop computer from 'Microsoft Security.' They were asked to call a 'fraud investigator' at a bank and ordered to pay large amounts of money to cover so-called commissions of crimes that had been found on their accounts. The couple paid the money three different times.

Consumers who believe they may have been a victim of any type of scam should call or email the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986.