Imposter Scams

Imposter Scams

Attorney General Dana Nessel’s Consumer Protection Bureau is not going to call you and tell you that you won $8 million. Nor will we advise you that we’ve been trying to deliver the funds to you and are now calling you because we’ve been unsuccessful.

You may get a phone call with a local area code and the voice on the other end of the phone may tell you that they’re from our office and even give you our correct address—but it is not us. It is a scammer who is impersonating our staff and angling to get you to give out your personal information.

Be alert for calls or other forms of contact from anyone representing themselves as an  employee or being from the Michigan Department of Attorney General — or any government entity. Do what one savvy call recipient did: get a call back number, call back and see who answers – then call us at our correct number: 877-765-8388.

The Attorney General is not the only Michigan entity being impersonated. Local health departments report an uptick in phone scammers posing as public health officials to steal personal information. Many of these scammers are calling from spoofed numbers and may have a good story and even some of your personal information but it is a fraud. Do not give them any of your personal information — and do not send them money.

If you receive one of these calls, let us know so you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at the contact information below or with the Federal Trade Commission online or by calling 877-382-4357.

BEWARE: OTHER STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPOSTER SCAMS

Contact from the government gets your attention. Criminals use legitimate government references and the threat of government action to trick individuals in to taking action that facilitates theft. Here, the scammer was claiming that they were trying to give away prize money. The initial communication could come in any form—letter, phone call, email, or text message. No matter the form, the goal is the same: to get personal or business information and steal money.

• If you receive a text or email from any source claiming to come from a government agency or employee with an attachment or link asking you to open it or click on it, do not do it until you verify it is authentic.
• If anyone calls you and asks you to pay with a cash-to-cash money transfer, like MoneyGram or Western Union; or with a PIN from a cash reload card like MoneyPak or Vanilla Road; or with a remotely created payment order using your bank account and routing numbers, they are a fraud and it is a scam. Hang up. It is illegal for any telemarketer to accept any of those forms of payments.
• If you receive suspicious contact from someone claiming to be from state or local government, report the contact to the actual agency using contact information you know is accurate. The official State of Michigan website provides reliable contact information for State government.

If you have a general consumer complaint, you may file a complaint with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division:

P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form