The South Dakota Attorney General's office has a new way for consumers to keep ahead of scammers.
The public can now receive consumer alerts via email from the Consumer Protection Division thanks to a new system launched Aug. 30.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said said last year, people contacted his office more than 62,000 times regarding scams, with even more expected this year. But he does not want the new email subscription to overwhelm consumers' inboxes.
"We anticipate that every time there's a major scam where we're beginning to get phone calls, questions...we would put out that alert," Jackley said. "I'm hoping that it's not as frequent as we're anticipating — that it'll be a couple of times a week — but it's going to depend on what the scams are and how the different scams change."
Jackley said the first goal of the system is to alert people of potential scams. The second goal is to give a "follow-up alert" with tips on how to address it.
"And that'll be a big part of this," Jackley said. "It's not just an alert saying 'this is out there and be weary of scams,' but it's getting tips on how to avoid them."
Consumers can register for the alerts on the Consumer Protection Division’s website or stop by the division’s booth in the Expo building at the State Fair this week in Huron.
If you have any information about possible consumer scams or fraud, contact the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or email consumerhelp@state.sd.us.