Moorhead Businesses Targeted in New Fraud Scam

Police warn local companies about callers posing as IT support or asset protection to steal money.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 8:42pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a damaged credit card reader, the surface textured and scarred, reflecting a harsh, direct flash of light against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the financial vulnerabilities of small businesses targeted by fraud scams.A damaged credit card reader highlights the financial vulnerabilities small businesses face from sophisticated fraud scams.Moorhead Today

The Moorhead Police Department is alerting local businesses about a new fraud scam where callers pretend to be from the company's 'IT Help Desk' or 'Asset Protection' and claim there is an issue with the PIN pad or register. They then walk employees through a fake 'calibration' process, leading to large unauthorized credit card or gift card transactions before the business realizes it's a scam.

Why it matters

Fraud scams targeting small businesses can have a significant financial impact, especially on local companies that may not have robust cybersecurity measures in place. This particular scam exploits the trust employees have in their own IT support, making it harder to detect. Raising awareness can help Moorhead businesses protect themselves.

The details

According to the police department, the scammers call businesses and claim to be from the company's 'IT Help Desk' or 'Asset Protection'. They tell employees there is an issue with the PIN pad or register that needs to be 'calibrated'. While walking the employee through this fake process, the scammer is able to initiate large unauthorized credit card or gift card transactions before the business realizes it's a scam.

  • The Moorhead Police Department began receiving an increased number of reports about this scam on April 6, 2026.

The players

Moorhead Police Department

The local law enforcement agency in Moorhead, Minnesota that is alerting businesses about this new fraud scam.

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What’s next

Moorhead Police are encouraging any businesses that receive a call like this to contact the police department immediately.

The takeaway

This new fraud scam targeting Moorhead businesses highlights the importance of employee training and robust cybersecurity measures, even for small local companies. Staying vigilant and verifying the identity of callers claiming to be from internal IT or security teams can help protect against these types of financial losses.