Business Scam Circulating In Small Town Minnesota

I would say scam season is here but that seems to be just about every season these days. There is always a scam going on and popping up.

I just read about a scam that was reported just a short drive from Duluth - and could happen here at any time. It's always best to read about all the scams going on, even if you think you'd never fall for one.

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Recently, the Minnesota Department Of Revenue warned everyone about a scam going on across the state. The scam starts with a text message, which happens to contain a phishing link.

We all know what happens from there. Of course, this isn't the Minnesota Department of Revenue but may appear to be at first glance. This new scam is a bit sneakier.

Hibbing Police Department Warns Locals About New Scam

The Hibbing Police Department issued a warning to locals on social media recently, revealing that a new scam has been targeting businesses in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, including in the Hibbing area.

RELATED: Scam Alert Issued For Wisconsin Area Code

According to their post, scammers have been targeting retail stores, calling the stores directly and pretending to be from the store's IT department. They also sometimes pose as the point-of-sale equipment manufacturer.

New Scam Targets Employees At Minnesota + Wisconsin Businesses

From there, the scammers tell the employees to make cash purchases and then, in turn, return the purchases to a credit card over the phone. This seems suspicious, but the scammers tell the employee they need to do this to 'calibrate' something in the system.

RELATED: Romance Scam Reported In Wisconsin

Obviously, the business loses money from buying an item in cash and then in turn, by putting money on a credit card.

Why do people fall for something like this? Probably because, according to the Hibbing Police Department, the transactions start small and then after they gain some trust, they up the transaction amount.

It also seems realistic because scammers have real names of the employees and such. If you are a business owner, warn your staff about this scam. It could happen anywhere since it happens over the phone. Beat the scammer at their own game!