Scam artists exploiting “North Dakota Nice”

North Dakota’s Attorney General is out with a new warning – several old scams are circulating again across North Dakota.

The Consumer Protection Division of the AG’s office says there’s been a recent increase in reports from victims of so-called imposter scams.
The victims were instructed to withdraw cash from their bank and convert it into Bitcoin or cryptocurrency as part of the scam artist’s phony “investigation.” Some scam victims reported losses of tens of thousands of dollars before they realized they had been tricked.

Several victims reported that they received a phone call supposedly from a Border Patrol officer claiming that the victim was under investigation for drug trafficking relating to a seized package of drugs addressed to the victim. The scam artists threatened victims by claiming they would be arrested immediately unless they cooperated with the caller.

The victim of the “computer virus warning” scam, reported that when he called the “customer assistance number” in the popup warning he was asked for the phone number on the back of his bank card.
Attorney General Drew Wrigley says legitimate banking or governmental organizations do not conduct their business in such irregular fashion. “The public needs to recognize that odd requests such as these are scams.”

Prevention Tips:

*         Don’t trust your caller ID. Scam artists use spoofing technology to display a phone number that is different from their actual number.

*         Ignore the calls. If you have an answering machine, let the caller leave a message. Delete messages from anyone you don’t know personally.

*         Hang up. If you hear the warning signs that it is a scam call, don’t worry about being polite, just hang up.  Remember, if they tell you not to discuss it then it is a scam.

*         If in doubt, call the consumer protection division toll free, 800-472-2600, before taking any action.

*         Don’t pay over the phone by purchasing gift cards, wiring money, mailing cash, or sending crypto currency.

*         Never allow scammers access to any of your devices.