Devils Lake Police Department reported the latest scam that targeted two local businesses over the weekend. Using the guise of an impending building inspection, con artists contacted the businesses via phone and demanded the immediate electronic transfer of fees to forestall imposing steep fines. As a result, an employee at one of the locations was swindled out of several hundred dollars of their own money.
DLPD is warning everyone to keep an eye out for these scams, which depend on instilling panic and haste to get money.
Several months earlier in February, an employee at a local convenience store was deceived into transferring $250 to gift cards via PayPal and Chime from a caller claiming to have a partner in the parking lot holding a hostage at gunpoint.
Scams and internet crimes are now commonplace. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a record $16.6 billion in losses due to scams were reported to them in 2024. The Pew Research Center indicates 73 percent of adults in the United States have experienced some kind of online scam or attack.
How to recognize potential scams
There are various ways to recognize scams, and that spotting these tactics can help people avoid being taken advantage of.
• Someone contacts you. When a party contacts you first, you can’t be certain of their legitimacy. Also, email addresses and caller ID can be faked.
• Easy money is offered. Many scammers dangle a promise of some sort of financial gain, whether it’s a prize or an easy loan. These are usually too good to be true.
• Personal information is requested. Be on alert any time someone asks for personal information, whether it’s a bank account number or other identifying information. You could become a victim of identity theft.
• A request for money up front. If someone requests money to pay off a debt or to receive a prize, it is likely a scammer trying to take your money.
There are many types of scams, and the following are some prominent ones.
• Counterfeit merchandise: A scammer can replicate the look of a legitimate retailer’s website. Purchasing items online through a link may lead you to a counterfeit site selling merchandise that is not legitimate and/or will not even arrive.
• Charity and disaster fraud: Charity fraud scams typically emerge in the wake of a natural disaster or another sudden, tragic event. Scammers may target generous individuals through email, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, and cold calls. Never donate to charities you have not verified as legitimate.
• Cryptocurrency investment fraud: Scammers convince victims to deposit more and more money into financial investments using cryptocurrency. These investments are fake and all the money is under control and stolen by overseas criminal actors, says the FBI.
• Bogus debts: You may receive a message or threatening correspondence that demands payment on a debt that you haven’t heard of. These scams work because some people are scared and take the bait. Legitimate creditors will produce proof of an actual debt.
• Home repair scams: Unsolicited companies may offer a “limited-time deal” and rope you into having a job done with “materials left over from another job.” Be very cautious in these scenarios, as they may take money and run.
• Emergency scams: These are sometimes called Grandparent Scams because they often target the elderly. A criminal may claim to be a friend or family member in dire need and request money. Some scammers sound like the person a senior knows thanks to technology that enables them to do so.
Scams are a continuous problem and everyone needs to be on their guard. Safeguard your personal information and avoid paying out any money without first conducting thorough research.
Scams faking law enforcement
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers also often fake caller ID to impersonate local law enforcement, hoping to get their victims to pay. They claim to be an officer from local police or sheriff’s office, and that they’ve confiscated a package with that person’s name on it. The so-called “package” is filled with money, illegal drugs, or weapons — and the person will be arrested unless they pay a fine by sending cash, depositing money at a Bitcoin ATM, buy gift cards and give them the numbers, or send money over a payment app like Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo.
Even if the caller uses the name of a real officer, has a real number show up on caller ID, or has information about the person they called (like an address), it’s not a real officer calling, but a scammer trying to steal money.
Here’s what to know:
• Real law enforcement officers won’t call to threaten arrest (or threaten to arrest a caller if they hang up).
• Real law enforcement officers won’t call people to insist that they pay fines by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service — and never as a way for someone to buy their way out of a “crime.”
When receiving a call like this, the FTC advises callers to hang up. Don’t call the number back. To check it out, it’s advised to contact your local police department, or the authority cited during the call, but use a known phone number. Then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.