AG Nessel Shares Common Signs of Scams

LANSING – As part of Financial Literacy Month and leading up to Money Smart Week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding Michigan consumers that one of the best ways to stay vigilant against fraudsters is to understand how to recognize a scam. Most scams have common characteristics. By equipping themselves with the tools to recognize a scam, Michiganders can be alert to its key features and avoid becoming victims.

“Scammers are creative, coming up with new and more effective ways to trick you into handing over your hard-earned money or personal information,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Arming yourself with knowledge about their current tactics is the best way to make sure you don’t get scammed.”

Common signs of scams include when residents are:

• Contacted out of the blue with an urgent request.
• Pressured to act or respond immediately. Offered something that sounds suspicious.
• Urged to keep the call, text, email, or chat secret.
• Requested or demanded to provide personal or financial information or money.
• Asked for payment in an unusual form.
• Told to go to their financial institution to withdraw money and instructed to put their phone in their pocket while the scammer remains on the line. The scammer may also instruct victims on what to say to the staff at their financial institution.
• Told they have won or inherited a large sum of money, then instructed to pay an up-front fee to collect on the windfall. The scammer claims the fee is to cover the cost of processing or shipping or to pay taxes on the winnings.
• Given vague information regarding the purpose of the call and/or caller is reluctant to answer questions about the business or their offer.
• Threatened if they don’t comply with demands.
• Promised something too good to be true.

To avoid becoming a victim of a scam, consumers should:

• Block unwanted calls and text messages. Do NOT provide personal or financial information in response to a request that they did not expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for personal information like Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
• Avoid clicking on any links in an email or text message from a company they believe could be a scam. Instead, contact the business using a website they know is trustworthy or look up the phone number. Don’t call a number provided by the caller or the number from the caller ID.
• Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give customers time to decide. Anyone who pressures them to pay or give personal information could be a scammer.
• Recognize how scammers tell them to pay. Never pay someone who insists on payment with a gift card or by using a money transfer service.
• Stop and talk to someone they trust. Before doing anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help them realize it’s a scam. It can also make others aware of the scam and help them to avoid it.

To help residents avoid falling victim to scams, Attorney General Nessel will be reissuing alerts throughout Money Smart Week next week on the Department of Attorney General’s dedicated consumer protection social media account, Michigan Consumer Protection (@MIConsumerWatch). Residents can follow @MIConsumerWatch on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

To file a complaint with the Attorney General, or get additional information, contact:

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

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