Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday urged Michigan residents to beware of scammers posing as law enforcement agencies or other companies demanding payment for warrants or services via gift card.
Recently, illegal robocalls have been reported detailing that bad actors are spoofing — falsifying the phone number that appears on your caller ID — local law enforcement phone numbers, and when answered, they may claim the victim’s name is on a package of drugs and money and/or there is a warrant out for their arrest.
The scammer tells the victim to wire money and/or purchase gift cards. They are then instructed to provide the gift card numbers over the phone to take care of the warrant.
Although gift card scams are not new, they have surfaced in recent weeks across the state — including Calhoun, Kent, and Oakland counties — with bad actors posing as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, deputies, or, in some cases, the chief of police.
“The framework of these scams — whether it’s a law enforcement, grandparent, or tech support scam — are always the same. The demands are urgent, they prey on fear, and they always insist on an untraceable payment method,” said Nessel. “The fact is, anyone who demands payment by gift card is a scammer, period. No reputable company or government agency will ever demand payment via gift card.”
To report fraud or if you have a general consumer complaint, contact the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Team by calling 877-765-8388.
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