06/17/2026
The Morrison County Sheriff's Office encourages you to take a few minutes to review the information in this article and, just as importantly, share it with your family members, friends, and neighbors. The more people who are aware of these scams, the less likely criminals are to succeed.
Unfortunately, we have seen scam victims from nearly every age group. Some scams, such as sextortion schemes, often target teenagers and young adults, while others frequently prey on senior citizens. The reality is that scammers are looking for any opportunity and will target anyone they believe may be vulnerable. By educating ourselves and sharing this information with others, we can help protect our loved ones and our community from becoming victims.
Protecting Yourself from Scams:
Scams continue to impact residents across the nation, and Morrison County is no exception. Every year, members of our community report financial losses, compromised personal information, and emotional stress due to fraudulent schemes. As your local law enforcement agency, our goal is to keep Morrison County safe, both on our streets and online. Awareness and prevention are key tools in fighting back against these criminals.
Here are some of the most frequently reported scams in Morrison County.
Impersonation Calls
Residents have reported calls from individuals pretending to be someone else. Sometimes the scammer will identify as a deputy, IRS agent, package carrier, or utility company. These callers often use urgent or threatening language to pressure you into making quick decisions. A recent example involved several residents receiving calls from someone posing as a “Deputy,” claiming they had an active warrant and demanding payment with pre-paid cards to avoid arrest.
Online Marketplace Scams
Buying and selling through social media and online marketplace groups is popular in Morrison County, but scammers take advantage of that. Fake listings, counterfeit payment notifications, and buyers offering to “overpay” with fraudulent checks are common tactics.
Grandparent or Family Emergency Scams
We continue to see cases where scammers claim a loved one is in jail, injured, or in trouble and needs money immediately. They often urge secrecy to keep you from verifying the story. The scammer will tell you that you are unable to speak with your loved one, unless you agree to an immediate payment with pre-paid cards.
Romance Scams
Online relationship scams remain a concern statewide. Fraudsters create emotional bonds with victims over time, then request money for fabricated emergencies or travel. This scam usually spans the course of months or even years. Recent cases in Morrison County resulted in the victims losing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the scammers.
Sextortion
Sextortion scams are a type of online blackmail where a scammer contacts you online and starts an online romantic relationship. After time they ask to share explicit photos and once they have your explicit photos, they threaten to share them unless you pay money. These scams frequently target teens and young adults.
Payment Method Scams
No legitimate agency will demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or peer to peer apps. Any request to pay this way is a scam.
What you can do to protect yourself
Pause before acting
Scammers want you to move fast. Take a breath, slow down, and assess the situation.
Verify the caller
We encourage residents to remain vigilant when receiving unexpected phone calls, text messages, or emails that appear suspicious in nature. Scammers often impersonate law enforcement agencies, government offices, businesses, or financial institutions in an attempt to obtain personal information or money.
If someone claims to be from the Morrison County Sheriff's Office or another agency and the call seems suspicious in nature, hang up and contact the agency directly using a verified phone number. Do not rely on phone numbers provided by the caller, as scammers can manipulate caller ID information to make it appear they are calling from a legitimate organization.
Residents should never provide personal information, banking information, passwords, or payment over the phone unless they have independently verified who they are speaking with. Taking a few moments to verify a caller's identity can help prevent becoming the victim of a scam.
Be cautious online
When buying or selling online, meet in a public place, avoid unusual payment requests, and be skeptical of buyers or sellers who won’t meet in person.
Protect personal information
Never give out bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, or verification codes to unexpected callers or messages.
Talk to someone you trust
A big red flag that you’re dealing with a scammer is that they don’t want you to tell anyone else. A quick conversation with a friend, family member, or law enforcement agency can often stop a scam in its tracks.
Secure your accounts
Use strong passwords and two factor authentication to protect your online information.
