‘Urgency, fear and trust’: Fraud prevention seminar highlights tactics used by scammers

Romance scams. Fake job offers. Cryptocurrency pitches. Someone pretending to be a family member in trouble.

Scammers have plenty of ways to try to get your money, but fraud experts say many of the tactics behind them are the same.

Minnesotans got a chance Thursday to learn what to watch for during a free fraud-prevention event at the Shoreview Community Center.

Eight Minnesota credit unions teamed up with law enforcement and fraud experts for the Credit Unions Fighting Fraud seminar.

Organizers cited a Consumer Federation of America report estimating Minnesotans lose about $1.5 billion a year to online scams.

The event also addressed something that can keep people from speaking up after they’ve been scammed: embarrassment and shame.

“Scammers are constantly changing their playbook, but they often rely on the same things: urgency, fear and trust,” said Derek Schmidt, payments and...