Scammers who posed as local law enforcement officials have fleeced an Albert Lea woman out of roughly $1,400.

According to Mark May, Mower County chief deputy, one of the scammers used May’s name and told the woman she needed to pay back one of her loans, or he would arrest her. On a separate occasion, another person told the woman he was a police captain, needed to collect another unpaid loan from her or would have to arrest her and impose a $3,000 fine. On both occasions, the victim reportedly paid the scammers with prepaid credit cards. Furthermore, the woman’s husband sold a vehicle and tools to pay the scammers.

According to May, the scammers hacked into a legitimate loan agency’s system and retrieved account holders’ information. May has been in contact with FBI officials who are aware of the scam. May said law enforcement officials have no business contacting people about loans.

“Law enforcement doesn’t go out and collect on other people’s loans or anything like that,” he said.

May added the victim in this case will not be able to get her money back.