Click play to listen to this article.

Consumer protection experts said the fraud crisis in America and around the world runs deeper than what is reported and it is not just the public getting scam alerts. North Dakota police departments are also joining the conversation about their role.

The Federal Trade Commission said consumers lost more than $12 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25 percent increase from the year prior.

Paul Greenwood, a former prosecutor who trains law enforcement and support groups on preventing fraud crimes, who will be speaking at AARP-hosted outreach events in North Dakota this month, fears people are still reluctant to report being scammed, and if they do, local authorities face barriers tracking down those responsible.

Image

"Often fraud is regarded as a nonviolent crime, and there's been pressure put on law enforcement to focus on the violent offenders of our society," Greenwood noted.

At the events, Greenwood informs police and community members about the toll financial crimes take on those who lost money. He reported local departments often tell him about the limited resources they have to investigate such cases, especially when the suspect is thousands of miles away. Greenwood added there have been promising developments on the international front in taking down some crime rings.

Jason Ziegler, police chief in Mandan, is planning to have members of his department at one of the events. He said educating citizens is still one of the best tools to prevent scams but acknowledged the resource challenges cited by Greenwood and he would welcome additional support to beef up investigations and extend training to his force and the people they serve.

"Having the right person send the message," Ziegler emphasized. "Not everybody can convey a good message and it depends on trying to get a younger generation officer to convey a message to an elderly individual, (it) may be a little difficult."

Watchdogs said evolving scams target many different age groups and Greenwood hopes college students take notice so they can protect themselves and loved ones.

"We want students who have grandparents to be aware of what's going on, to know how deep this problem is," Greenwood stressed. "So that they may be the person that could actually talk to a grandparent, and maybe, who knows, prevent fraud from occurring within their own family."