BROWN COUNTY — On Sept. 14, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of scammers utilizing Boat Trader.com and Craigslist to sell boats, ATVs, and other merchandise throughout the United States.

Scammers created a false webpage for Helget Enterprise, advertising them as the transportation company to deliver the merchandise. Scammers provided a false address in rural Sleepy Eye that is not associated with Helget Enterprise. Both Helget Enterprises and the address in rural Sleepy Eye are victims of the scheme.

There have been over 20 online respondents from various locations around the United States. As the Brown County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the origin of these scammers, it wants to remind the public of safe online purchasing.

“Shop where you trust. Size up the business. Beware of rock-bottom prices. Check out webpage security,” read a Brown County Sheriff’s Office news release. “Watch out of email scams. Don’t give out more information than you need. Mind the details, after you make a purchase keep the receipt, tracking, and order confirmation in a safe place. Take action if you don’t get your stuff.”

In this particular scam the seller relays a message of losing her husband in a tragic accident, thus needing to liquidate their property to move forward with her own recovery.