By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Sheriff deputies, on May 3, reported the death of a 65-year-old adult in a traffic accident in Scambler Township, northwest of Pelican Rapids. The accident took place close to 9:17 p.m. on 155th Avenue.

The victim was deceased at the scene of the one-vehicle accident. County sheriff deputies were assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol, Pelican Rapids Fire Department and Ringdahl Ambulance.

Scam avoided

A county resident, location not available, avoided being scammed after his computer was hacked on May 3. This was a close call since the resident had provided to fraudsters his bank account and 401k information.

No money had been lost as of Thursday morning, May 4.

Fire destroys shed

Sheriff deputies, on May 1, reported the total loss of a shed due to fire at Freedom Flyer Road, Long Lake, east of Vergas.

Authorities were called to the scene of the fire at 6:15 p.m. Area fire departments who went to the scene could not immediately determine the cause of the fire. 

Sheriff deputies, on May 2, said detectives and the state fire marshal were continuing with the investigation.

Home sale scam attempt rejected

On May 1 a resident of Little Pine Loop, north of Perham, called the county sheriff office and reported that scammers tried fraudulently to sell the owner’s lake shore residence. Fortunately the scam attempt was not successful.

The person who resides at Little Pine Lake was advised to check with the county recorder office and obtain title information.

Authorities nationwide say that whether you are a buyer, seller, owner or renter, understanding common real estate scams, how to separate fact from fiction, and what you can do if you get caught up in one can help you protect your hard-earned money.