Sioux Falls Business Tricked out of $6000 in Merchandise

A Sioux Falls business is out several thousand dollars after falling victim to a case of fraud.

Dakota News Now is reporting that a man who placed a call to an unnamed Sioux Falls business earlier this week, posing as a city employee making an order, was able to successfully make off with roughly $6,000 worth of merchandise.

The report states the man showed up to the business later that same day to claim the order, he told an employee on duty "to bill the city" and then he simply walked out with all the stuff.

Officer Sam Clemens with the Sioux Falls Police Department told Dakota News Now, shortly after the man left, the business called the city to verify the man's identity, they quickly found out they had been duped once the city informed the business the man was not an actual city employee.

Much like the bitcoin scam that another Sioux Falls business fell victim to late last week, this incident is another first for the city of Sioux Falls. According to Clemens, this is the first time police have seen someone impersonate a city official in a case of fraud.

The city does not have charge accounts set up with area businesses, according to the Dakota News Now report. When the city intends to purchase goods and services from an area business, they typically use a credit card or a billing order to make the purchase.

Clemens said, should a city representative use a credit card to purchase merchandise on behalf of the city, it is standard procedure for the city employee to produce identification proving their employment with the city of Sioux Falls.

Source: Dakota News Now