Alarmed by “staggering” increases in cryptocurrency scams, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has released an online survey asking users to weigh in on how and why they access cryptocurrency ATMs. The machines, which can be found with increasing frequency in supermarkets and convenience stores, allow users to make cash deposits into accounts and have their dollars converted to Bitcoin.

The attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division is conducting an investigation into cryptocurrency ATMs, and St. Paul and Stillwater banned the machines outright this year in light of growing concerns. The Attorney General for the District of Columbia recently filed a lawsuit against Athena Bitcoin, a major crypto ATM operator, alleging that 93% of deposits to the company’s crypto ATMs were scam-related.

Ellison’s office said it has also received dozens of reports over the years from scam victims who sent money to fraudulent accounts after being misled. Scammers tend to prey on vulnerable seniors by claiming they owe back taxes and must pay them off immediately using the machines or face immediate consequences from law enforcement, such as a visit from the FBI.

Federal Trade Commission data show losses at cryptocurrency ATMs nationwide growing from a reported $12 million in 2020 to $250 million in the first half of this year alone, according to Ellison’s office. The median reported loss was $10,000. The transactions, according to authorities, are difficult if not impossible to trace.

The attorney general’s survey is at ag.state.mn.us/Survey/Bitcoin-ATM. It asks crypto ATM users which company’s machines they’ve accessed, whether someone told them to use a crypto ATM, whether they lost money, and more. A survey was also emailed directly to some consumers of a leading ATM brand.

Ellison is encouraging victims to contact their local law enforcement and the Minnesota Department of Commerce, as well as his office.

Pioneer Press staffers who cover the Vikings take a stab at predicting the outcome of tonight’s game against the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Dane Mizutani

Lions 31, Vikings 27: Max Brosmer will look much better than he did in the first start of his career. It won’t be enough to overcome an opponent fighting for its playoff life.

Jace Frederick

Vikings 27, Lions 24: The Lions just suffered a devastating defeat that likely ended their playoff hopes. Recovering from that on a short week is no easy feat.

John Shipley

Lions 19, Vikings 13: Max Brosmer got the Vikings past the Giants last weekend, but the Lions are still playing for something, albeit unlikely, and Detroit will do everything it can to rattle the rookie QB.

Charley Walters

Lions 21, Vikings 10: So, the Vikings’ season comes down to two nondescript games against the Lions and Packers. Sad, really.

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What to know when the Vikings host the Detroit Lions on Thursday afternoon:

Vikings vs. Lions
When: 3:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium
TV: Netflix / WCCO-Channel 4
Radio: KFAN
Line: Lions -7.5
Over/Under: 43.5

Keys for the Vikings

— The fact that rookie quarterback Max Brosmer is starting for the Vikings should dictate the game plan. There will more than likely be a heavy emphasis on establishing the run to help set up the pass. That said, Brosmer will have to play at a high level if the Vikings want to upset the Lions, especially if the game turns into a shootout. There should be ample opportunity for Brosmer to make plays against a depleted secondary on the other side. He has to be able to take advantage, whether that means attacking the middle with star receiver Justin Jefferson, pushing the ball deepto receiver Jordan Addison, or checking down and moving to the next step, Brosmer has to affect the game with his arm if the Vikings are going to have a chance.

Keys for the Lions

— As effective as the Lions have been running the ball this season, they rushed for a mere 15 yards in their recent loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That lack of success on the ground made everything else extremely challenging for the offense, and can’t happen again if the Lions want to take care of business today. They need to control of the line of scrimmage with running back Jahmyr Gibbs first and foremost. Not only will that open up the playbook for veteran quarterback Jared Goff, it will also help the Lions stymie the Vikings’ interior pass rush. The biggest issue for Gibbs will be pass protection. If he’s unable to pick up blitzes with regularity, he will likely cede reps to fellow running back David Montgomery, which could impact the Lions’ ability to run the ball.

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A 63-year-old man was accused Wednesday of pointing a gun at ICE agents in West St. Paul this week.

The West St. Paul City Attorney’s Office charged him with obstructing legal process with force, a gross misdemeanor, and four counts of misdemeanor fifth-degree assault, saying he caused fear of bodily harm.

West St. Paul police responded Monday to a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that a man “just pulled a gun,” according to the criminal complaint.

Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents told police they were parked in the lot at Home Depot, conducting surveillance, when the man started following them in his vehicle. They tried to lose him, but he followed them for several minutes and had a firearm in his hand at one point, the complaint said.

Two other ICE agents told police they were driving a vehicle marked with “Police” and “ICE” when the man pulled next to them and “made a motion as if he was pulling a firearm from his waistband,” the complaint said. One of the agents pulled his service weapon, prompting the man to throw his firearm onto his own vehicle’s dashboard.

Attorney Claire Glenn, who is representing the West St. Paul resident, said they dispute the charges.

“ICE is essentially deputizing people that are kidnapping our neighbors and our community members,” Glenn said, adding that her client “was entirely within his rights to observe and document what people were doing. And in retaliation, this charge was brought, even though it was the ICE agents that pointed their weapons at him.”

The man is a decorated Navy veteran who worked for the U.S. Postal Service for decades and “is a concerned community member who cares about his neighbors,” Glenn said.

The man was arrested Monday and held in the Dakota County jail until Wednesday, when he posted $6,000 bond.

The incident came a day after a federal agent fired a service weapon in St. Paul. No one was struck. A DHS spokesperson said it happened when ICE officers identified a man illegally in the U.S. from Cuba. He drove off, struck two ICE officers and multiple vehicles before he was arrested, according to DHS.

ICE has stepped up its efforts in the Twin Cities with Operation Metro Surge beginning Dec. 1, and DHS said Friday that more than 670 people had been arrested. ICE operations ordered as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration have drawn observers and protesters.

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