SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - South Dakota reports fewer fraud complaints than almost any other state, but thousands of residents still fall victim to scams.
Leah Ganschow with AARP South Dakota says most are duped by lottery scams or identity theft because their information is too easy to steal.
Ganschow says the most common way that people get this information in South Dakota is through government documents, which they can get from the mailbox, from the trash if they're not shredded, or also from online use of public W-Fi.
South Dakotans reported falling victim to lottery scams where paying a fee supposedly improves your chances of winning.
Ganschow says it varies by scam, but one of the more common figures is at least $250 per transaction. She says that would be the low end, adding that you may be lucky paying only $250
South Dakota ranks 49th in the nation for fraud complaints, according to A-A-R-P's Fraud Watch Network.
(Thanks Greater Dakota News Service)