commerce consumer alerts blue and green banner look




"November 2024 "






In the November 2024 edition of our Consumer Alerts newsletter, the Minnesota Department of Commerce has a number of scam alerts for Minnesota consumers:  


*
Gift card scams  


*
Health insurance and Medicare scams  


*
Timeshare resale scams  


*
Utility company scams  

You can help prevent fraud: Take action as part of International Fraud Awareness Week (November 17-23).  We also have news about the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program [ [link removed] ], which is now open for applications for income-qualified homeowners and renters.  Finally, we are excited to announce Minnesota's Green Workforce Connect platform [ [link removed] ] for finding clean energy careers in Minnesota.  

________________________________________________________________________







Man holding gift card or credit card
Gift card scams 

Just in time for the season of lights, gift card scams can sneak into the holiday season. *No legitimate business, government agency, or person will ever ask you to make payments or send money using gift cards.*  

Avoid gift card scams:  


* Look for tampered gift cards at stores.   

* Don’t ever buy gift cards to pay someone.  

* Alert your family, friends and neighbors about gift card scams.  

* See someone buying a lot of gift cards? Have a friendly conversation and alert them if it might be a scam.   

Was your gift card tampered with? Call the customer support number on the back of the gift card. Report gift card scams to the Federal Trade Commission:  ReportFraud.ftc.gov [ [link removed] ].   







________________________________________________________________________



picture of a beach with chairs and umbrellas and behind, a bunch of multiunit living buildings
*Timeshare resale scams*  

The Minnesota Department of Commerce is warning timeshare owners about a sophisticated timeshare resale scam. Commerce has received an increased number of complaints from timeshare owners who are victims of these scams. Learn more about tips to avoid these scams or file a complaint [ [link removed] ].   
News stories:  Forest Lake Times [ [link removed] ],  WDIO News - Duluth [ [link removed] ]  



________________________________________________________________________



*Utility company scams *

A caller from your gas or electric company threatens to immediately shut off your service. It’s probably a scam. Here’s how to check:


* Hang up and call the utility company phone number on their website or your utility bill. Don’t call back the person who called you. Those call-back numbers are fake.
* Never pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or wired money. Your utility company won’t ask you to pay that way.

If you’re behind on your utility bills, ask your utility company for help:  Ask for a payment plan and apply for the Energy Assistance Program [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________



*Health Insurance Scams*

If you’re shopping for health insurance or Medicare during Open Enrollment season, be on the alert for scams. Here’s more from the FTC about how to spot insurance scams [ [link removed] ].

 

Stay clear of scammy ads and health insurance scammers. Here are questions to ask:


* *Are they licensed in Minnesota?* Health plans and agents are required to be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce: Look up licenses here [ [link removed] ].
* *Can I get that in writing?* Ask the health plan to clearly explain insurance costs and coverage. Get this info in a written document:  How much will premiums cost? How much do I pay out of pocket before insurance covers costs? What if I end up at an emergency room or need surgery? How much will insurance cover costs for a prescription drug? 
* *How do I pay premiums?* Don’t pay anyone who claims they are from a health plan or Medicare and demands cash, cryptocurrency, or your credit or debit card numbers so you can get or keep health coverage.

Contact trusted sources for health insurance:

* For Medicare, contact the Minnesota Senior Linkage Line [ [link removed] ].
* Contact MNsure [ [link removed] ], Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace.

Visit MNsure.org [ [link removed] ] during Open Enrollment. Enroll by December 18, 2024, for insurance coverage to start January 1, 2025.

photo of a family walking through the fall leaves

________________________________________________________________________



 

*COMMERCE IN THE NEWS
Keeping Minnesota homes warm this winter*

Governor Tim Walz announced $112 million in federal funds awarded to the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program, which is administered by the Minnesota Commerce Department. Read our full press release [ [link removed] ].

News stories about the Energy Assistance Program:


* Sahan Journal [ [link removed] ]
* WDAY News – Fargo-Moorhead [ [link removed] ]
* Minnesota Reformer [ [link removed] ]

*Apply for Energy Assistance online*, or help your family, friend or neighbor to apply:  mn.gov/home [ [link removed] ].

EAP mittens and house image

________________________________________________________________________



blue logo for fraud awareness week
*International Fraud Awareness and Prevention Week  *

Certified Fraud Examiners estimate organizations lose about 5% of their revenue annually due to fraud. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners offers *ways that you can get involved to prevent fraud* at fraudweek.com [ [link removed] ].



________________________________________________________________________



CAREERS AT COMMERCE

Explore current job openings and the work we do at Commerce for future career opportunities:  Careers at Commerce [ [link removed] ]

info graphic for weatherization day 2024. includes map with states highlighted in green that are are offering career opportunities in weatherization.

Minnesota is now one of nine states to be part of the Green Workforce Connect platform [ [link removed] ] that helps link job seekers with careers in clean energy.  Our state has experienced rapid growth in clean energy jobs. Recent reports show over 60,000 jobs in the clean energy sector, with growth nearly five times faster than the overall economy in the past year.

Learn more about Minnesota's Green Workforce Connect [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________



Get updates and news from the Minnesota Department of Commerce at mn.gov/commerce [ [link removed] ] or @MNCommerce on social media.

Twitter [ [link removed] ] |  Facebook [ [link removed] ]  |  YouTube [ [link removed] ]  |  LinkedIn [ [link removed] ]  








*Minnesota Department of Commerce*
85 7th Place East, Suite 280
St. Paul, MN 55101

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Department of Commerce GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;} table.govd_hr {min-width: 100%;}