Minnesota
Phone scams claiming bank affiliation on the rise in Minnesota
Phone scams involving banks on the rise
Receiving calls and texts from people claiming to be from banks are on the rise in Minnesota, with authorities trying to warn people not to fall victim to them.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – You’ve no doubt had a run-in with them — Scammers bombarding your phone with texts and calls, often pretending to be someone they are not in an effort to steal your information and your money.
“We’ve gotten the same fake customer service call multiple times in a matter of days. The caller ID said ‘Wells Fargo’ and the number was their actual customer service, so at first, it seemed legit. But red flags soon appeared,” one potential victim familiar with the scam told FOX 9. “In order to stop a fraudulent transfer on our account, they claimed we needed to send another Zelle transfer to what they called a ‘cancelation number’, which was another phone number.”
“It’s social engineering… it’s convincing something to do something that’s maybe not in their best interest,” explained Mark Lanterman, a cybersecurity expert.
Lanterman notes that it’s easier for criminals to hack a person than a computer. These calls aren’t about stealing bank information directly — they convince people to send money using a sense of urgency.
“There’s something wrong and you need to act on it right now or else, and I’m going to help you with this,” a scammer might claim, creating a false sense of urgency to manipulate the victim.
Wells Fargo has clear warnings online about such tactics, emphasizing the importance of ignoring requests to send payment to solve a problem — they will never ask for this.
“You can use an online service for pennies per phone call in order to fake caller ID,” Lanterman said, highlighting how easy it is for scammers to mislead victims.
If you receive any suspicious call, the best response is simple and cautious: “Say thank you and say I’ll call you back.”
Then call back using the phone number that’s on the back of your card or the phone number that’s actually on your banking statement.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Expect a sunny Saturday with heat expected to build up this weekend before an even hotter work week.
Saturday forecast
Local perspective:
Winds stay light out of the south with plenty of sunshine today.
There are hints of an extremely isolated thundershower, but the chance of that happening over any given area is extremely small.
Expect highs to peak in the upper 80s with dew points in the mid to upper 60s this afternoon.
Extended forecast
What’s next:
This forecast is hot.
Highs will peak in the 90s every day this upcoming week for the Twin Cities and a large portion of the area as well.
Dew points really don’t look to surge into the 70s but mainly stay in the lower to upper 60s depending on the day of the week.
Little to no precipitation forecast this upcoming week. Expect dry and sunny days.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced over $1.4 million in child care economic development grants, including a $200,000 award to the
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
in Bemidji.
Split between 11 programs and organizations around the state, more than 80% of the awarded funds support programs in Greater Minnesota, with the aim of creating more than 1,100 new child care slots.
“Affordable, reliable child care is essential for a thriving economy,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a release. “These grants are supporting working families by ensuring Minnesota parents are able to work knowing their child is well cared for by some of the best caregivers in the nation. We’re also helping employers retain talent and working together to establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.”
DEED’s Child Care Economic Development Grant program provides funding to organizations and communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing, and other strategies to address the child care shortage.
Since the office’s inception in July 2023, DEED has awarded over $13 million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 4,000 new child care slots.
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