By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent 

Sheriff deputies, on Jan. 31, received a phone call from a woman who said her husband ‘s personal information was used to withdraw a loan from a bank and purchase vehicle insurance.

The county residents, after talking to sheriff deputies, contacted the bank and froze all their credit accounts and banking accounts. They also arranged to file a report related to fraudulent transactions.

Deputies also advised the couple to contact the Federal Trade Commission regarding identity theft.

Be alert for scam attempts

The county Sheriff Office again reminds residents of Otter Tail County, particularly senior citizens, of the need to continue to be vigilant and not become scam victims.

As for phone calls from scammers, never forward money or purchase iTune cards when a scammer says you need to send money to fix a computer problem or get a grandchild out of jail. Never click on questionable email attachments. 

If a computer is locked up, don’t respond to scammers who try to blackmail victims. Instead, use control, alt delete or use the shutoff button. After restarting your computer, you should be back to normal. If not, contact your computer advisor or call the county Sheriff Office at (218) 998-8555.

Phone call scams and computer scams can be avoided if county residents remain cautious and don’t fall for scare tactics.