The Attorney General provides Consumer Alerts to inform the public of unfair, misleading, or deceptive business practices, and to provide information and guidance on other issues of concern. Consumer Alerts are not legal advice, legal authority, or a binding legal opinion from the Department of Attorney General.
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued an urgent reminder to be aware of scammers spoofing numbers from local public health departments and/or simply insisting that they are calling from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Do not fall for this! The callers may offer grants, medication, at-home COVID testing., or even claim that there is some type of complaint against you. These bad actors tend to then insist that personally identifiable information such as your Social Security Number, birthdate, address, or even Medicard numbers must be provided to verify your identity.
Hang up on these calls! Do not provide any of your personal information if you receive one of these calls. You will never receive a call from the MDHHS or any of the local public health departments in our state demanding your personal information, nor will these departments offer money giveaways or threaten you.
It is also important to remember that spoofing allows a bad actor to make it appear as if they’re calling from a phone number that you would recognize. For example, if your local area code is 517, they will attempt to call you from a spoofed 517 phone number to convince you to answer.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection webpage is always available as a resource for consumers to turn to.
If you believe you are the target of a scam, hang up the phone and verify the identity of the caller independently. Do not give out any personal information unless you have first confirmed who you are talking to is actually who they claim to be.
The latest information on the response to COVID-19 is always available by visiting Michigan’s Coronavirus website or by visiting the CDC’s website.
To report a scam, file a complaint, or get additional information, contact the Consumer Protection Division:
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