RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a new wave of phone scams attempting to extort money by falsely claiming the target has missed jury duty or federal district court appearances.
The scams, which have historically plagued the Rapid City and greater Black Hills area, follow a typical pattern: a caller impersonating a sheriff’s office employee claims the victim has an active warrant and must immediately pay a fine to avoid arrest.
In this recent iteration, the scammers are specifically trying to confuse individuals by alleging a missed federal district court case. As is common, they demand payment via gift cards or by depositing money at a kiosk.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office issued a reminder to the public: hang up immediately if you receive such a call. The office generally does not collect warrants or fines over the phone, and individuals with outstanding warrants are typically asked to settle the fee in person.
While the office can process credit card payments over the phone for certain Power of Attorney (POA) warrants, citizens can easily verify if they have an outstanding warrant by visiting the county website at www.pennco.org/warrantsearch.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that any call from law enforcement demanding or soliciting money over the phone should be met with skepticism. No legitimate agency will accept gift cards or ask for a kiosk deposit.
Residents of Rapid City and South Dakota are advised to hang up and call law enforcement directly at (605) 394-6117 to confirm the legitimacy of any suspicious call.