Fear, shame, and helplessness are feelings Minnesota fraud victims describe after losing their life savings to a scam.
They're hopeful about a path to financial recovery as state lawmakers finalize a new tool to lean on.
Under a bill poised for final passage, Minnesota would join a handful of other states in creating a Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund.
A percentage of money collected from civil penalties leveled against suspected fraudsters would be diverted into a state-managed account.
That money would be divvied up among people who've had trouble recovering money in their cases.
Dennis Anderson of Maplewood told lawmakers that was the situation for him.
"It can happen to anyone," said Anderson. "Scammers exploit emotions and fears, robbing us from our financial security."
Anderson lost $20,000 after getting a frantic call from someone posing as his grandson about a legal matter.
The legislation is now part of a large omnibus bill as lawmakers near the end of session.
The measure has bipartisan support, although some Republicans want more transparency in how the money is handled. Sponsors say the plan has enough guardrails.
State Senator Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, is the bill's main sponsor.
She said those guardrails include caps on how much money can go into the restitution fund, before the rest is moved into the general fund.
She noted that they also added language that a victim who receives restitution won't have to list it on their tax return. Rest said it's one way to make them feel better moving on from what happened.
"People lose their dignity over it," said Rest. "Sometimes they have risked a lot of their retirement income. They feel embarrassed, and by having a restitution account, it allows some restoration of that dignity."
AARP Minnesota worked closely with lawmakers on this plan.
It highlights data from the first three quarters of 2024, when the Federal Trade Commission received more than 22,000 fraud reports from Minnesotans, with losses totaling nearly $103 million.
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Contributed/Bandcamp'Boleros Psicodélicos II' by Adrian Quesada is KAXE's Album of the Week for June 30-July 6, 2025. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe emergency declaration follows a severe windstorm on June 21, 2025, that downed thousands of trees and caused widespread power outages. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEUnited Way of 1000 Lakes, serving Itasca County, honored Anttila and other finalists at its Community Impact Celebration in May 2025. -
CCBoyle Photography/FacebookRen and Nick Howl of the band stopped by "Headwaters" on June 6, 2025. -
Contributed/Sarah SundeenBemidji High School Marching Band’s fundraiser is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Drum majors Elizabeth Buxton and Braeden Dougherty joined the "KAXE Morning Show" to talk more about the event. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEAfter authorizing a strike last week, north-central and northeastern APPs with the Minnesota Nurses Association filed a 10-day strike notice Monday, June 30, 2025. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Leech Lake Emergency Operations Center continues to coordinate response efforts following the June 21, 2025, severe storm that impacted the Cass Lake area. -
Contributed/Author photo—Lisa Kollberg; book cover—Penguin Random HouseHayley Krischer ("The Falling Girls"; "Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf") returns with a thrilling story exploring class and the dark side of the wellness and beauty industry in "You Belong to Me." -
Ashlea McMartin, director of Sanford Behavioral Health in Bemidji, discusses how our brains process the collective crisis that was the June 21 storm, advice on how and what to prioritize while in recovery mode and more with Bemidji Area Reporter Larissa Donovan. -
Contributed/University of Minnesota PressIn this episode of Ham Radio: Cooking With Amy Thielen we are all about the summer kitchen.Guests include Alena Levina, one of the contributors of the new cookbook Kitchens of Hope: Immigrants Share Stories of Resilience and Recipes from Home. Alena gives us her family recipe from Belarus: Holodnik or Summer Beet Soup. Alena lives in St. Paul and talks family and farmers markets and memories of outdoor cooking in the summertime. And Holodnik is our Community recipe this week! (stay tuned, we'll post soon! Or check out our past recipes of the week!)We're also thrilled to bring you a conversation with newly awarded St. Paul chef Karyn Tomlinson. She just won the James Beard award for Best Chef of the Midwest. Her restaurant is Myriel in St. Paul and she features local produce from farmers in her hometown of Dassel. We learn about how this strong connection to the local food forges not just sustainable friendships but creates a magic in the kitchen where limitation can mean creativity.So many texts and calls came rolling in this week about favorite summertime recipes and memories. From Mikki's gazpacho, Iris's ratatouille, Steve's watermelon Coke and carving a watermelon in the shape of a beautiful basket, we loved every single second of it. We continue to hear from our Ham Radio fans. Like this one from Sarah: "I especially loved last week’s conversation about recipes and Amy’s appreciation for older ones with those classic “grandma directions” (like using half an eggshell of water in the homemade noodles) and your discussion about special recipes with stories behind them (hello beer cooler chicken)."and a listener who share this memory:"Fresh brook trout with new potatoes has been a summer favorite since I was a young man. I remember doing "quasi-regular "brook trout delivery" to family in our neighborhood. Wonderful memories and a wonderful meal for all.Delivery? How do we sign up? Hope you enjoyed the first season of Ham Radio: Cooking With Amy Thielen. Tell others about us, pass the word and send us your memories and recipes! Ham Radio features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate
