fraud

Minnesota farmer sentenced to prison for farm loan fraud

MINNEAPOLIS (KVRR) – A Slayton, Minnesota, man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and  ordered to pay restitution for converting collateral that secured loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger says 54-year-old Mark Alan Engelkes pledged 15,641 bushels of soybeans as collateral in order to obtain loan proceeds of…

Sen. Amy Klobuchar stops in Moorhead to address scams targeting seniors

Tips on how to avoid falling victim to a scam are below

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson address a problem that’s grown exponentially throughout the pandemic: scams targeting seniors. “This is on the rise once again and it could get worse,” Klobuchar said at a press conference Thursday morning. Older Americans lose an estimated $3 billion every year from financial scams, according to AARP. The…

District Election Officer for North Dakota To Monitor Election Day Fraud

FARGO, N.D. — The Justice Department is ready to respond to reports of voter fraud and other misdeeds on Election Day. Rick Volk will serve as the District Election Officer for North Dakota and handle complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses. He will be in contact with the Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is part of…

3M files 18 lawsuits over alleged unlawful N95 mask sales

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (AP)–The leading manufacturer of N95 masks in the U.S. says it has investigated 4,000 reports of fraud, counterfeiting and price gouging in connection with the product and filed 18 lawsuits as a result. 3M, based in Maplewood, is among the largest global producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational…

Employers Asked to Lookout for Fraudulent Unemployment Claims

Multiple fraudulent claims have been identified in North Dakota because employers notified Job Service.

BISMARCK, N.D.–Job Service North Dakota is asking employers to be on the lookout for fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. An increase in fraudulent claims has been noted across the country, North Dakota included. Job Service North Dakota says, “Although fraudulent attempts to receive unemployment insurance benefits happen regularly, periods of disaster which result in a large volume of unemployment insurance claims…

FBI Sees Spike In Online Scams Related To COVID-19

The FBI says they had around 2.7 billion dollars in losses from cyber crime last year. 

UNITED STATES – While overall cyber activity has been no different than what FBI agents would see on a normal day, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a new worry. “So we’ll see scams that are trying to sell fraudulent medical equipment, we’ll see scams that are trying to get people to buy testing or vaccines for COVID that don’t exist….

Woman Involved In Jamaican Lottery Scam Is Sentenced To Prison

At least 90 Americans lost over $5.7 million in the scheme which funneled money between the U.S. and Jamaica

FARGO, ND — It’s sentencing day for a Rhode Island woman convicted in North Dakota as part of a major lottery fraud. Judge Daniel Hovland sentenced Melinda Bulgin of Providence to four years in prison and restitution of around $330,000. At least 90 Americans lost over $5.7 million in the scheme which funneled money between the U.S. and Jamaica. The…

AARP Hosts ‘Lunch and Learn’ to Teach People About How to Protect Themselves Against Scams

According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, a con artist steals someone's identity every 2 seconds in the U.S

FARGO, N.D.– Robo–calls are nothing new in our area, but scams come in all shapes and sizes. According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, a con artist steals someone’s identity every 2 seconds in the U.S. The group says in 2018, Americans lost $16 billion  to fraud, identity theft, and scams. There are many types of scams people can fall…

Dakota Plains Holdings Co-Founder Sentenced For Stock Manipulation Scheme

Ryan Gilbertson also was fined $2 million and ordered to pay more than $15 million in restitution

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minnesota man who helped found a business in North Dakota’s oil patch has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud in a stock manipulation scheme. Ryan Gilbertson also was fined $2 million and ordered to pay more than $15 million in restitution. The U.S. attorney’s office says Gilbertson co-founded Dakota Plains Holdings, which owned a…