Jury Duty Phone Scam Reported

Authorities sent out a warning about a phone scam becoming more common in our area.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, numerous individuals reported scam calls of which the caller claims to be a Polk County Sheriff’s Office Employee. The number that showed up on the caller ID is the Polk County Sheriff’s Office number, 218-281-0431, and the caller claimed to be Sgt. Hibma, who is an employee with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The scammer then advised that the called person missed a jury duty date and that they need to pay a fine or risk going to jail.

This is a scam. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office never collects any type of fee over the phone or in person.