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.
On a hot summer day, about 250 people decided that a sprint through the mud was the best way to spend time.
That’s how many registered for the annual Minnewashta Mud Run on Saturday. Racers of all ages jumped in tubs of mud, made their way through various obstacles, and fired down a massive slip and slide powered by the Chanhassen Fire Department.
Micah Ostergard, the Recreational Specialist with Carver County Parks, said it’s an event he looks forward to each year.
“I think one of the great parts of being in this line of work for me is to see the joy that people have when they come out to an event like this,” Ostergard said.
The Mud Run, for now, helps to raise money for both Carver County Parks and the Minnetonka school system. Ostergard said that there are conversations in the works to transform it into a formal fundraiser to help underprivileged children access programs that may otherwise be too costly.
Either way, the focus was on fun and getting muddy on Saturday morning. That was 14-year-old Ingrid Boldischar’s goal when she convinced her family, including two younger brothers, to ender the Mud Run.
“Everyone really likes getting dirty so, it’s just a fun thing!” Boldischar said.
While she partook in the full course, which amounts to a 5-k for runners that go around twice, younger children enjoyed a smaller version of the run. That included Margot Bennett and Gus Youngstedt, two four-year-old best friends who arrived at the Mud Run on Saturday morning after throwing their first slumber-party together.
Their parents, Annie Fagerlee and Dani Youngstedt, said they had a wonderful time on Saturday morning.
“It’s a designated spot for our kids to get as muddy and wet as possible that’s not in our house,” Fagerlee said.
David Brandt, a Chanhassen firefighter, was happy to play his part manning the firehouse. He estimated they used up to three thousand gallons to keep the slip and slide going, providing relief from the heat.
“We come out every summer, cool off the kids, give them some water,” Brandt said.
While temperatures going above 90 on Saturday afternoon, parents and organizers alike were grateful that the outdoor Mud Run kicked off by about 8:30 in the morning.
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.
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