Fargo Police: More than 30 incidents involving man who tried to scam businesses
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -
UPDATE, February 9: We’re learning more about the man police say attempted to scam businesses across Fargo and neighboring communities. In the late fall of 2022, The Fargo Police Department began receiving calls to its non-emergency number about a man who was entering local businesses and claiming he’d been robbed, asking where their security cameras were located and making emotional pleas for money.
The FPD Records Unit, which receives calls to the non-emergency number, passed the information along to the department’s Intelligence & Analysis Unit (IAU) to see if there was a pattern to these incidents.
Though there was no one particular area of Fargo that was targeted, more businesses began reporting similar details through November and December, allowing IAU to gather more and more information on these calls—including body-worn camera footage from responding officers. During at least one incident, it was reported the suspect attempted to grab money out of the business’s cash register.
Through the process of gathering information, IAU analysts were able to identify a suspect and worked with the Neighborhood Services Division to obtain a warrant for his arrest on Friday, January 27.
On the evening of Tuesday, January 31, a downtown Fargo business reported a suspicious male matching a FPD social media post attempting to locate this suspect. Officers Schobinger and Marlow responded to this call and placed Andrew Magnusson, a 21-year-old with no permanent address, under arrest for his local warrant. He would also be subsequently arrested for Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
By the time of Magnusson’s arrest, there were over 30 incidents involving him reported to FPD. This effort across all three divisions of the Fargo Police Department to make an arrest for these incidents exhibits the FPD core values of Guardianship and Professionalism.
UPDATE, February 3: Thanks to a tip from a member of the public, Fargo Police say Andrew Magnusson has been arrested for his outstanding warrant.
ORIGINAL STORY, January 27: Fargo Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Andrew Magnusson, a 21-year-old Fargo resident, who has attempted to scam businesses across Fargo and neighboring communities.
They say Magnusson, a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, is approximately 5′11″, and weighs 150 pounds. He has been known to enter a business—sometimes identifying himself as a 17-year-old named “Matthias Huglen”, and claims he was just robbed outside the establishment and would like to know where the security cameras are located.
Magnusson has provided a false police report number along with a fake names of FPD officers to the businesses. He makes an emotional appeal, which includes an untrue story of his life, and then asks for money. Magnusson has even been known to reach into the cash registers of businesses in an attempt to obtain money.
Magnusson currently has a warrant for his arrest related to these reports. If you come into contact with him, please call the Red River Regional Dispatch Center immediately at 701.451.7660.
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