Erica Knodel of Harvey said she knows at least 10 people were scammed. Knodel said she emailed the fruit truck business about the issue and has not received a reply.

“This is more of a buyer beware situation,” said Master Officer Aaron Moss with the Community Outreach Program of the Minot Police Department, in reference to the rotten fruit issue.

Moss said this time of year is no exception to other crimes, including an increase in auto burglaries and property crimes. He said some preventative measures for auto theft are locking your car and keeping valuables out of plain sight.

“Statistically an auto burglar will not break a window. They will move onto the next open car,” Moss said.

Jen Brodal/MDN Master Officer Aaron Moss with the Minot Police Department said people should be mindful of scams. He said the summer season has an increase in auto and property crimes.

“Oftentimes addictions are the motivating factor when it comes to property crimes across the state,” Moss said.

By and large, Moss said, the crime rate in Minot has not seen an overall increase; however, an increase in calls relating to mental health issues is trending. Preceding this uptick in mental health calls, a partnership was created among the state, local non-profit agencies and North Central Human Service Center. These agencies can be on scene, and the police department can be there to assist if needed, Moss said.

There are several scams people can be mindful of, including the “fake gold jewelry scam,” in which a couple said they had been stranded without funds and swindled a local person into buying fake jewelry to get passage out of Minot.

Moss said “grandparent scams” prey on family members, claiming trouble and needing instant forms of payment, such as pre-paid gift cards. There’s also instant messaging scams, referred to as “romance” or “employment” scams, in which the victim is contacted via instant messaging and charmed into giving money, Moss said.

Scammers will be persistent with these “‘charm “scams because “if there is a one or two percent chance” that they can get someone on the hook, they stand to make thousands off the victim,” Moss said.

He said calls that involve anyone claiming they are a law enforcement officer, court administrator, lawyer or utility company needing immediate payment are likely suspicious.

Moss said people should not to be afraid but be mindful of their surroundings and escape routes.

“You don’t always have to exit the same door you entered,” Moss said.

He said people trying to sell items in parking lots and gas stations always is a red flag. Panhandling is not illegal, but if there is concern, bringing in the authorities to find the proper resources is always a safe option, Moss said.

Moss said road rage and driver safety is another area in which being aware of your surroundings and humanizing others in situations is important. Most commonly, construction and being in a hurry can cause a situation to escalate quickly. He said to make more time for driving, plan your routes when dealing with construction and slow down.

While the criminal element is a mixture of both local people and people passing through, being mindful is always a good idea, Moss said.