Pipestone County Sheriff's Office Warns of Inmate Listing Scam

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The Pipestone County Sheriff's Office is alerting the public about a recent phone scam involving the office's inmate listing. Scammers are posing as sheriff's office employees and contacting friends and family of inmates, requesting money for electronic home monitoring, bail, or bond payments through digital payment methods like CashApp. The sheriff's office has confirmed these calls are fraudulent, as they only accept cash payments at their office.

Why it matters

Scams targeting vulnerable populations like inmates' loved ones can have serious financial and emotional consequences. This warning helps protect the community from falling victim to these deceptive practices and reinforces the sheriff's office's commitment to transparency and integrity in its operations.

The details

According to the Pipestone County Sheriff's Office, the scammers are using information from the office's public inmate listing to contact friends and family, claiming the inmate needs money for various services. The scammers request payment through digital platforms like CashApp, rather than the cash-only policy at the sheriff's office. This is an attempt to steal money from unsuspecting victims under the guise of helping incarcerated individuals.

• The Pipestone County Sheriff's Office issued this warning on April 1, 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The sheriff's office advises anyone who receives a suspicious call claiming to be from the Pipestone County Sheriff's Office to contact the office directly at 507-825-1100 to verify the legitimacy of the request.