12/21/2025
SCAM NOTIFICATION:
On Friday, December 19, 2025, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a business in Neillsville was contacted by phone by a male caller claiming to be with the United States Department of Homeland Security.
The caller instructed the employee to remove cash from the register, take it to a local retail store, and load it onto a Vanilla prepaid card. The caller threatened that the business would face serious trouble with Homeland Security if the employee did not comply.
Vanilla prepaid cards (commonly Vanilla Visa or Vanilla Mastercard gift cards) are non-reloadable prepaid debit cards that can be purchased at retail stores with a fixed amount loaded (typically $20–$500). They work like regular debit cards for purchases wherever Visa or Mastercard is accepted, but require neither a bank account nor a credit check.
Scammers frequently target these cards because once a victim buys them, loads cash, and shares the card number and PIN over the phone, the scammer can immediately drain the funds anonymously and irreversibly.
Important Reminder: The Department of Homeland Security does not contact individuals or businesses by phone to demand money or any payments, especially not via prepaid gift cards.
Scammers frequently impersonate the Department of Homeland Security or other government agencies to defraud victims, using tactics such as unsolicited phone calls, emails, and phishing schemes.
If you believe this or a similar scam has targeted you, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency. You can also contact the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General at 1-800-323-8603 or file a complaint online at www.oig.dhs.gov.
Chief Jim Mankowski
Neillsville PD
(715) 743-3122
