MT Insurance Commissioner News

Romance Scams Cost Montana Residents Thousands

The Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance issued a consumer alert on February 27, 2026, warning Montana residents about rising romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day. Commissioner James Brown of the State Auditor's Office explained how scammers create fake profiles on dating apps and social media using stolen photos, then manufacture emotional emergencies to request urgent money transfers, often via bitcoin ATMs or digital wallets. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, Montana ranks seventh highest per capita in internet crime losses nationwide since 2023, with Gallatin Valley residents losing thousands of dollars to these schemes.

American Prairie Sues Montana Land Board Over Bison Grazing Rights

American Prairie filed suit on March 17, 2026, in Lewis and Clark County state district court against the Montana Land Board and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, challenging the board's decision to block wild bison from grazing on state trust lands. The dispute arose days after the Land Board passed two resolutions targeting bison use of those lands, and follows the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's January 2026 revocation of the group's federal grazing permits in Phillips County. The Land Board oversees approximately 5.2 million acres of state trust lands that generated over $80 million in 2025 for Montana's public schools.