Bank Account Scam On The Rise In Minnesota

At this point, it should not surprise you that there is another scam making its way across Minnesota. There have been a ton of them as of late and now we have another one to add to the list that might just unlock a new fear in you as well.

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This scam was first reported by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Monday (October 30th). According to their post, they've been seeing an increase in cases like this one over the past few months. It all has to do with your bank account or any other important accounts you may have.

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Scammers are targeting locals, telling them that a specific account of theirs needs to be protected for one reason or another, causing panic to the person on the other end of the line or message.

From there, scammers will tell the victim of the scam to transfer money digitally to them for protection, thinking they are talking with a banker or someone with the account in question. Scammers may also ask you to drain your account into the form of a cashiers check and send it to them that way.

All of this is used under the ruse that your bank account, or another important checking account, is in danger! Scammers are targeting their victims using messages on both your phone or computer. This may even include a text or an email.

These scammers may say your computer or phone isn't secure and so they need money in order to make it so. They may also tell you that your account has been hacked and they can fix it by transferring your funds elsewhere. Obviously, this is a scam.

It should be in your head by now but just in case it isn't: do not give our your personal information over the phone. Do not panic if you get a call or message that seems unusual. Instead, take a deep breath and do some research.

Once you've taken a minute to soak it all in, call your bank directly and ask them about the messages you received. The same goes for any other account that the scammer may say is compromised. Save yourself some time and pain in the end!

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For the record, Douglas County is about four hours from the Duluth area. That may seem far in retrospect but really, scammers can broaden their horizons pretty fast. All they need is a phone or a computer!