Minnesota Phones are Buzzing with Scam Calls and Texts

My phone buzzed with a text the other day from a bank. The message was my account was frozen and I should click on the link to take care of the problem. It was from my old bank. I can only imagine the number of problems I would have created for myself had I clicked on the link.

Minnesotans are getting about four scam calls or texts per day according to a study by Time2play.com. I was even a little leery to click on a story about scams, fearing the link would be a scam. But I rolled the dice. Just not on my phone or personal computer.

More than nine-out-of-ten people don't answer their phone if the number is unknown. It seems to me if it is a legitimate call they will leave a message. About a quarter of people use an app to prevent unwanted calls. But just a quarter of those says it does any good.

Seventy percent of people fear their older relatives could fall victim to a scammer. And about 20% of people who responded to the Time2play survey say they know someone who got taken and lost money.

Pennsylvania had the highest number of scam calls and texts at about four-and-a-half per day. New Jersey and Texas residents get more than four scams per day. New Mexico was the least at just over one per day. Oregon and Washington, DC were also low on the list.

A third of responders say they've gotten scam calls or texts after 10 pm.

The survey was conducted in April 2022 with 1,600 participants.