Minnesota AG Brags About ‘Shutting Down’ Scammers After Somalians Robbed State Of Billions

Democratic Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison shared a video Friday boasting his takedown of scammers — not long after reports surfaced that local Somalians robbed taxpayers of billions of dollars.

The video, shared on X, detailed Ellison’s efforts to combat student loan scams, fake utility callers and online fraud this year, as critics reminded him of what they described as the $9 billion Somalian elephant in the room. (RELATED: Somalis Reportedly Scamming Minnesota Blind — And Allegedly Sending Some Funds To Islamic Terrorists) 

“Scammers thought Minnesotans were easy targets. They’re wrong,” Ellison said, following a graphic of Ellison standing in a boxing ring with the words “Scam Stopper Showdown” displayed.

Ellison continued, saying that he is there to “step in fast” and “shut them down” when scammers go after the most vulnerable in the state.

Ellison, who previously served as a U.S. Representative and deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, said that he had fought against these scammers, adding that “every Minnesotan deserves safety and honesty when they answer the phone, open their mail, or take out a loan.”

“If you plan to scam Minnesotans, think again. You’re stepping into the wrong ring,” the video concludes.

Scammers thought Minnesotans were easy targets.
They were wrong.

From student loan scams to fake utility callers, we shut them down this year — fast. pic.twitter.com/fNVqctMy8N

— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) December 19, 2025

Yet U.S. Assistant Attorney Joe Thompson estimated Thursday that as much as $9 billion had been siphoned from Minnesota’s Medicaid programs since 2018, much of it from the state’s Somali population.

Dozens of Somalis have been indicted in the massive fraud, but whistleblowers allege Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ellison were negligent in stopping funds from being stolen. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer alleged in a letter to Ellison that the attorney general offered assistance to some of the perpetrators in exchange for political donations to his campaign.  (RELATED: Indicted Defendant In Somali Fraud Scandal Still Getting Millions From Minnesota, Says GOP Lawmaker) 

The stolen money was allegedly spent on luxury goods or sent back to Somalia, where some of the taxpayer dollars ended up in the hands of the nation’s terrorists, according to a City Journal report.

Ellison also said President Donald Trump’s comments referring to the alleged Somali scammers as “garbage” reminded him of the “Third Reich”

“The audacity to post this trash,” conservative communicator Steve Guest commented in reply to Ellison’s video. Guest pointed out, “$9 billion worth of Medicaid fraud happened right under your nose. And the largest funder of Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

“You really thought this was a good time to post this, huh?” wrote the executive director of the Minnesota House GOP, Andrew Wagner.

you really thought this was a good time to post this huh? https://t.co/urmsrzhknt

— Andrew Wagner (@andrewwagner) December 19, 2025

“Keith Ellison is right. Minnesotans aren’t easy scam targets,” historian, writer and podcaster Mike Coté added. “The government of Minnesota, however, is quite possibly the easiest scam target in modern American history.”