(WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is issuing a warning to residents to be on the alert for law enforcement scam calls.
According to a press release from the attorney general's office, illegal robocalls have been reported recently across the state involving scammers impersonating local law enforcement agencies and other companies, and demanding money and/or gift cards.
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Scammers are even reportedly falsifying phone numbers that appear on the caller ID to mimic local numbers.
In some instances, according to the AG's office, scammers have been telling the victims that their name is on a package of drugs and money and that there is a warrant out for their arrest. That's when they make their demands to "take care of the warrant."
“My office is committed to our consumer protection work because we recognize that bad actors will truly stop at nothing to swindle anyone out of their personal information and hard earned money,” said Nessel in a press release. “Make sure to be aware that no law enforcement agency will ever contact you by phone demanding that you pay, regardless of payment method, for your warrant to disappear. Spoofing allows scammers to disguise their actual phone numbers and instead show a local phone number on the caller ID. If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately. Do not fall for it.”
Check out this full resource guide related to gift card scams here.
Nessel added, “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.”
The AG advises people who believe they are the target of a scam to hang up and call the phone number of the agency or company they know to be correct. You can report fraud by calling the AG's Consumer Protection Team at 877-765-8388.
