Business

Scams are becoming more common and more expensive.

Last year, more than two and a half million Americans reported that they had been scammed, and that number has been increasing, along with their losses. The amount of money lost to scammers topped more than $10 billion last year, up from about $2 billion in 2019, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Scammers have also gotten more sophisticated, increasingly impersonating government agencies and businesses to manipulate people out of their money.

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the latest examples and trends in scams, how anyone could fall for them and how to protect yourself.

If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam report it to your local law enforcement.

Here are other resources for filing complaints and getting trusted advice on protecting yourself from scams:

The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit consumer organization that maintains a Scam Tracker database, which allows the public to report and look up scams in their geographic area. You can also call to report a suspected scam to the BBB at (651) 699-1111.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce provides many consumer fraud resources and its service center addresses complaints about businesses regulated by the department, including banks, insurance and debt collectors. To file a complaint call 651-539-1600. To report or get additional help with scams involving seniors, call the Commerce Senior Fraud Line at 952-237-7571.

Guests:

• Jacqueline Olson is the assistant commissioner of enforcement in the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

• Susan Adams Loyd is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Minnesota and North Dakota.

• Donna DiMenna was the target of a scam in 2023. She lives in the Twin Cities where she works as an organizational psychologist with expertise in executive development.   

 Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.     

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.     

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture wants to build a green fertilizer industry in the state.

Officials believe a grant program will encourage agricultural cooperatives and rural electric cooperatives to get into the fertilizer business.

“It's brand new to the state, and it is actually the first of its kind in the nation,” said MDA Energy and Environment section leader Megan Lennon.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Morris have worked for years to develop the technology to make ammonia using wind energy. That research is now ready to become a distributed fertilizer production industry, said Lennon.

Much of the nitrogen fertilizer currently used by Minnesota farmers is is imported and a majority is made through an energy intensive process using natural gas.

Lennon said nitrogen fertilizer production produces about two percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.

“So green fertilizer definitely has a climate benefit,” said Lennon. But producing fertilizer in Minnesota would also give farmers options outside of the current highly consolidated supply chain.

“Minnesota farmers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on fertilizers every year, and a lot of that money leaves the state and might even leave the country, because there's a lot of consolidation in in the fertilizer marketplace globally,” she said.

Minnesota Farmers Union hosted a green ammonia summit Dec. 10 in Morris, Minn.

The organization “is optimistic about the future of green ammonia and its potential to support family farmers and rural communities,” said Gary Wertish, president of the farmer’s union.

Lennon visualizes two potential models for “green fertilizer” production. One would be small facilities with on site wind or solar power that create ammonia. The other would be a larger facility co-located with an ethanol plant, using waste carbon dioxide to create urea, another form of commonly used fertilizer.

“For example, let's say there's one of these larger facilities that are co-located with an ethanol plant,” said Lennon. “If you produce 150,000 tons of urea per year, that would be enough enough nitrogen fertilizer for about a million acres.”

The $7 million grant program will help build infrastructure. Research shows making fertilizer with renewable energy can be economically viable, said Lennon and she thinks a federal tax credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act will also help grow the new industry.

The first round of grant applications opens Dec. 18.

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Currently, drivers can access a federal tax credit worth up to $7,500 for buying or leasing an electric vehicle. There's a smaller credit for used EVs, too. But the incoming Trump administration has declared the tax credits wasteful spending, making their fate uncertain.

Has that caused a massive rush of EV shoppers hoping to lock in savings before the new administration begins in January? Well, not quite, said Alex Lawrence, who runs a Utah dealership that exclusively sells used EVs.

"There are still many, many, many, many, many more people that don't even know this exists," he said.

But those who do know, he said, are concerned — and acting fast. According to Cox Automotive, EV sales went up around 10 percent in November.

Frank Shorter of Cary, N.C., had been thinking of buying an EV for a while, sometime in the next few years. But after Nov. 5, he decided to move up his timeline.

"After the election, the writing was on the wall that the tax credit might go away … and, you know, these tariffs looming on the horizon, potentially — it just felt like the prices were about to go up," he said. He hurried to snag a new Ford F-150 Lightning. A Ford 0 percent financing offer and the $7,500 tax credit combined for what he called "a screaming deal." The tax credit "made it so that it was within our reach," he said.

An uncertain timeline for reversal

The federal tax credit for clean vehicles has been around since the George W. Bush administration. It's changed over time, with a big overhaul during President Biden's administration as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats' major climate bill.

A change couldn't happen overnight. Because the tax credits are defined by law, Congress would have to act to fully remove them, and the auto industry is already lobbying to try to defend them.

But the law only sketches out broad strokes, while rules from the Treasury Department lay out the details. The Trump administration could change those rules to make the tax credit more difficult for drivers to get. That would still require a notice and comment period, but might be quicker than Congress.

For now, there's a finite supply of vehicles that qualify for the credit, thousands of dollars on the line for shoppers, and an uncertain timeline after Jan. 20.

"For consumers interested in an EV purchase, strike while the battery is hot," advises Ivan Drury with the automotive research site Edmunds. EVs have been at bargain prices this year, thanks to lower-than-expected demand, but automakers are adjusting. "Now, with production cuts shrinking supply and a fresh wave of demand from those seeking a deal while they still can, it can be all but assured that the price for that EV you've been eyeing is going up in the coming months," he said.

There could be other savings in the future. Maybe.

Some states have very generous tax credits for EVs that would continue even if the federal funding is cut. (Looking at you, Colorado!) California's governor has promised to try to bring back a state incentive if the federal one falls, and other states might follow suit.

Cheaper vehicle models could also become available next year. (Looking at you, Chevy Bolt 2.0!) But there's no guarantee about what those future prices will be — and potential tariffs are another wild card. The Trump administration has announced plans for a range of tariffs that could potentially drive up vehicle prices.

And, of course, there is a chance that the tax credit won't be eliminated at all, or will be phased out very gradually. Still, analysts are generally recommending a strike-now approach, for shoppers already thinking of an EV purchase. It's not that the credits will definitely disappear; it's that right now buyers can definitely get them.

What to know about getting the tax credit

It's available as an up-front rebate.

This year, there was a huge change to this tax credit: Buyers can now get it as an upfront rebate off the price of the vehicle.

Effectively, the dealer fronts the value of the credit to the buyer, and the dealer gets reimbursed by the IRS. This makes the credit much easier to access. And it doesn't matter how little the buyer owes in taxes — they can still benefit from it.

Leasing deals are the simplest, and might be the first to fall

There are strict restrictions on which buyers and vehicles are eligible for the tax credit. Eligibility depends on factors like household income, and the car's price and supply chain. But there's a loophole: If you lease a vehicle, all those restrictions go out the window. Anyone can get $7,500 off the price of any electric vehicle. Combined with state incentives, that has led to some truly insane leasing deals.

The Trump administration is expected to close this loophole, which, unlike the purchasing credit, doesn't support U.S. jobs, and might be easier to reverse.

Leasing EVs has been wildly popular since the loophole was established. Stephanie Valdez Streaty, with Cox Automotive, says she expects to see leases pop up even more in December as people try to take advantage of it while they can. "The leasing loophole is such an attractive option for consumers," she said.

Used vehicle credits: Demand outstrips supply

The used vehicle credit is worth 30 percent of the vehicle's price, up to $4,000. The vehicle can't cost more than $25,000, and the buyer's adjusted gross income has to be $75,000 or lower (or $150,000 for a couple). Note: That's adjusted gross income, so after things like contributions to a 401(k), and buyers can use the current or prior year's AGI. It's a buyer's responsibility to confirm they're under the cap, and if they aren't, they'll owe the IRS back!

There are some other requirements; you can read more about them in our 2024 EV tax credit explainer.

Alex Lawrence, the EV dealer, said the used vehicle credit has been particularly significant for lower- and middle-income shoppers. Because the credit is now available as an upfront rebate, which is treated like cash, it can serve as a down payment for a buyer who otherwise would not qualify for a loan. "It allows these customers to buy cars that they wouldn't be able to buy," Lawrence said, "because they don't have $4,000."

As of November, about a third of used EV listings were under the $25,000 mark, meaning they could qualify for the credit, according to CarGurus. That's a huge increase from a couple of years ago. But Lawrence said that demand for those affordable EVs still far outstrips supply. He also warns that buyers need to watch out for dealers who will try to fudge the prices. The price cap of $25,000 includes fees and other required payments — it's tax fraud to claim the credit on a car that's artificially underpriced and pay the dealer in other ways, like through buying overpriced add-ons.

New vehicle requirements are changing Jan. 1

For a new vehicle purchase, there is also an income limit for buyers, but it's twice as high: $150,000 for an individual, $300,000 for a couple, $225,000 for a head of household. The vehicle price cap is also much higher, up to $80,000 for an SUV.

But there are extra requirements for new cars, designed to shift battery and mineral production from China to North America, to support jobs and create more secure supply chains for the U.S.

You can learn more in this explainer from NPR. For now, suffice it to say that federal law requires the cars to be built in North America, and that a certain percentage of their battery materials be sourced from certain countries — and those requirements get stricter on Jan. 1.

The list of new vehicle models that are potentially eligible for the tax credit is posted on fueleconomy.gov; as of Dec. 12, the list for 2025 has not yet been shared.

You can see a list of potentially eligible models here, but just because a model is potentially eligible doesn't mean an individual vehicle is eligible. Dealers can confirm if a specific vehicle is eligible by putting its VIN (vehicle identification number) into an IRS system. Dealers also need to report the sale to the IRS in order for a buyer to get the credit.

What would dropping the credit mean for sales? Stay tuned

Countries like Germany have seen EV sales drop significantly when tax incentives were removed. On the other hand, logic suggests — and research confirms — that many people claiming the tax credit would have bought an EV with or without it. That has bolstered the Republican argument that it's not a good use of federal money (more than $2 billion this year), but also raised hopes among EV fans that losing the tax credit wouldn't permanently hamper sales.

Lawrence said his dealership was profitable before the tax credit was expanded to cover used vehicles — and he predicts it will still be profitable if these tax credits go away. The demand is there, he said, in large part because charging at home is cheaper than buying gas.

"For the vast majority of folks," he said, "EVs are a great, great option." Especially if drivers can charge at home, he said, "you get cost savings, you get safety, and they're way more fun to drive."

In the long term for the EV industry, "the ship is going, right?" said Valdez Streaty. "It's not going to turn around. It's just the pace of adoption — the timelines are probably going to shift."

Copyright 2024, NPR

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Minnesota has an enormous sport fishing industry. It’s also an important agricultural state. But when it comes to fish farming, or aquaculture? Not so much. The industry peaked twenty years ago, with around $8 million in revenue.

But there are many who believe the industry has untapped potential in Minnesota.

And now, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is looking for public input on its new draft state aquaculture plan — the first update to the plan in more than 35 years.

“What we are trying to do in the planning process is getting the word out to folks about what aquaculture is, what it can do for the state, and how we can basically create an economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture industry,” explained Don Schreiner, a fishery specialist with the Minnesota Sea Grant Program at the University of Minnesota.

Most aquaculture in the state is currently for bait fish and for fish stocking programs. The last state plan doesn’t even mention raising fish for food.

Minnesota Sea Grant is currently wrapping up an aquaculture market study. Preliminary results suggest there’s a market for aquaculture for food production.

“People in Minnesota are willing to pay a bit of a premium for locally grown aquaculture,” said Schreiner. “The folks that are producing fish in Minnesota have no problem selling those fish in the marketplace, and actually, right now, we’re hoping more people get into it, because there certainly is a demand for it.”

The draft plan assesses the current state of the aquaculture industry in Minnesota. It also lays out recommendations for marketing, research, policy and other areas.

The plan can be found here. Comments are accepted through Wednesday, Dec. 18. Officials expect to present the final plan to the state Legislature in February.

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The prospect of tariffs in the new Trump administration is dividing businesses around the country.

Some are scrambling to avoid the potential import taxes or preparing to pass the cost on to their customers. Others, however, are welcoming tariffs as a defense against foreign competition.

Here's a look at how three businesses are bracing for the tariffs.

The domestic manufacturer

Mark McClelland is in the pro-tariff camp.

If you've ever sat in the bleachers to watch a high school football game, you may have come in contact with McClelland's product. His company, Tower Extrusions, manufactures bleacher seats and thousands of other aluminum products.

"Think of a big Play-Doh machine," McClelland says of the manufacturing process. "We take a log of aluminum and push it through a die in the shape of some form."

McClelland's business, based in Olney, Texas, operates eleven aluminum presses, cranking out bleachers, window frames, car parts and more.

"It's kind of one of those old-line businesses that people don't really think about, but when you look around, our product is kind of everywhere," he says.

Starting around 2010, McClelland's company and others the industry began to face increased competition from China. They fought back and won anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese aluminum products, but the import threat soon metastasized.

"What used to be just a China problem now has spread," McClelland says, with surging imports from Vietnam, Turkey, India, and Mexico. "And of course Mexico is the one I really worry about, because there's a direct route to our market."

Foreign companies now supply about 35 percent of the extruded aluminum products in the U.S., McClelland adds, nearly double their share from five years ago.

"They're selling at prices we can't compete with," McClelland says. "It's going to shut down our industry if we don't do something."

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed adding a tax of 10 percent to 20 percent on all imports, and McClelland is counting on those sweeping tariffs to provide a more level playing field.

He acknowledges, however, that import taxes are a double-edged sword. His company has to pay more for the raw aluminum that goes into its products now because of tariffs that Trump imposed the last time he was in the White House.

"It drove up our raw material costs by 10%, whether we imported them or not," McClelland recalls. "Even if it was produced domestically, it raises your costs 10 percent."

The importer

Among those business owners who face higher costs is Bobby Djavaheri.

He worries that tariffs will raise the cost of his popular air fryers and other appliances, most of which are manufactured in China.

"I don't think the American consumer understands what's at stake here," says Djavaheri, whose company, Yedi Houseware Appliances, is based in Los Angeles.

If Trump makes good on his threat to impose a 60 percent tariff on imports from China, he estimates that "a $130 item will turn into something way above $200."

"Americans are directly being taxed with these tariffs, not the Chinese," Djavaheri says.

Some have suggested that Trump is merely using the threat of tariffs as a bargaining chip and that import taxes are unlikely to take full effect — but Djavaheri isn't counting on that.

"I take it very seriously," he says. "We're trying to ramp up our imports prior to the president-elect getting sworn in."

Other importers are also racing to stockpile products before any tariffs take effect.

"If companies have the wherewithal to pull this product forward, to build up inventory and get their cost basis down before the new tariffs are put in, they're trying it," says Gene Seroka, executive director at the Port of Los Angeles. The port is busier than usual this time of year, unloading hundreds of thousands of shipping containers from Asia each month.

One of Djavaheri's suppliers has also considered moving his factory from China to Mexico to avoid the steepest tariffs.

But that may not necessarily work. Last month, Trump proposed slapping a 25% tariff on imports from both Mexico and Canada, two of the United States' biggest trading partners.

The discounter

Peter Elitzer is another business owner worried about the impact of tariffs.

He says even a 10 percent tariff would be painful for the customers who shop at his discount clothing stores. Bargain-hunters who frequent Elitzer's Label Shopper stores on the East Coast and in the Midwest are already cautious about spending money.

"They're only buying when they need to have something," Elitzer says. "So it's cold and they need a sweatshirt or jacket, they'll come out and get it. If it's too cold in the spring and they don't need to buy T-shirts, they don't buy T-shirts."

That makes Elitzer wary about filling warehouses ahead of the potential tariffs with clothes that might not sell and run the risk of falling out of fashion. He'll take his chances on imports from India, Indonesia and Cambodia, knowing that if tariffs do come, he'll have to raise prices.

"There's no question in my mind this is not going to be good news for the consumer at all," Elitzer says. "Particularly if they're trying to get inflation under control. It's the worst possible time to do that."

Most of the clothing items in his stores sell for $19.99 or below — less than he was charging a decade ago.

"The overwhelming majority of Americans don't shop in the high-end department stores," he says. "They're shopping in Walmart and they're shopping in the Label Shoppers of the world. And they're looking for value."

Copyright 2024, NPR

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A prominent attorney who once served as a Manhattan chief assistant district attorney will represent Luigi Mangione as he faces murder charges in New York for the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo is currently working at Agnifilo Intrater, which specializes in "complex and sensitive criminal matters," according to its website.

The law group confirmed on Saturday that Mangione retained Friedman Agnifilo, adding that she "will not be making any statements at this time."

Mangione, 26, is scheduled to appear in a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on Dec. 23 regarding charges related to a 3D-printed gun and fake ID. He is currently being held without bail. Earlier this week, Mangione contested extradition to New York, where he faces murder charges. An online fundraiser made to help with Mangione's legal fees has so far raised over $97,000.

Friedman Agnifilo worked as a prosecutor for much of her career before she went into private practice in 2021.

For seven years, she was the second-in-command at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. She worked under Cyrus Vance Jr. — who was known for going after former film producer Harvey Weinstein, as well as President-elect Donald Trump.

At the Manhattan DA's office, Friedman Agnifilo prosecuted violent crime cases, including those that had "a mental health component," according to her law firm bio. She also served as the acting district attorney when Vance was out of the jurisdiction.

Two other attorneys from Agnifilo Intrater are representing Sean "Diddy" Combs in the criminal case against him, where he was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.

UnitedHealth Group CEO speaks out

The killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO on Dec. 4 sent shockwaves across the country. It also brought issues around health care access in the U.S. into sharp focus, with widespread anger directed at health insurance companies on social media.

On Friday, Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, said he agreed that the health care system is flawed.

"We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people's frustrations with it," he wrote in an op-ed published in The New York Times.

"We understand and share the desire to build a health care system that works better for everyone," he added.

Witty added that Thompson was among those who "tried their best for those they serve." He wrote, "When a colleague proposed a new idea to Brian, he would always ask, 'Would you want this for your own family?' If not, end of discussion."

The UnitedHealth Group CEO ended the op-ed asserting that Thompson was dedicated to building a more affordable, transparent and compassionate health care — adding that it was those characteristics that he and others in UnitedHealth Group will emulate.

The op-ed received over 2,400 comments before the comments section was closed. Many of the responses were of readers unconvinced by Witty's statements.

Among the top recommended comments came from Ralph from Naples, Fla., who wrote, "I have read this twice, and in essence it says nothing. What is he proposing to change or improve?"

Another top comment came from Phil from London: "What happened to Mr Thompson was tragic, but to describe him as someone 'who was working to make health care better for everyone' is just patently false. He was working to maximize profits for the company's shareholders, that is the *sole* responsibility of a CEO and it continues to be the main reason why healthcare in the US is completely broken."

Copyright 2024, NPR

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