One Minnesota City Shares Shocking Scam Statistic

I am always writing about some sort of scam because there seem to be more and more of them popping up with every passing day. The worst part? Scammers are getting more sophisticated by the day.

There is basically a scam for everything these days. There are jury duty scams, text message scams and even people pretending they work at the DMV, all across Minnesota.

Get our free mobile app

Often, it's easy to tell something is a scam but other times, especially lately, it is not that simple. There are scams that I have almost fallen for. Some are just too easy to fall for without a warning in sight.

I saw something on social media that put this into perspective. Many people think everyone is able to tell when something is a scam - but that is simply not the case.

Golden Valley Police Department Shares Shocking Scam Statistic

According to a post recently shared by the Golden Valley Police Department, residents in the area have lost nearly $60K just this year alone because of scams. That is absolutely awful, especially considering we are just about four months in.

RELATED: St. Louis County Sheriff's Office Warns Of Uptick In Scams

The most common reasons these residents have lost money? Scammers posing as someone in the government and as bank representatives. They pressure the person who answers the phone to send money in some way, shape or form.

A good rule of thumb? If you get a call at any point from anyone asking for money, hang up. You can even go a step further and call the organization someone is claiming to call you from.

RELATED: New Scam Warning Issued To Minnesotans

This will save you a lot of heartache, time and money in the end. Delete that text and don't answer the phone if it looks like a number you don't recognize. Other signs: if the scammer is pressuring you to keep something quiet, send money quickly or asking for payment in a weird way, like through gift card.