DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — The city of Dearborn is warning about social media accounts that are falsely claiming to be elected officials to scam people.
The city says the accounts are contacting people on social media and impersonating government officials like the police chief and members of the city council.
The scammers are using the accounts to gain personal information about residents and their households, police said. They’re also phishing for personal, financial and identity information to commit fraud.
Government agencies and elected officials will never call, email, direct message or text anyone for money or personal information, the city says. Anyone who receives a message like that is urged to block and report the account.
Fraudulent accounts can look similar to real ones, with some using the name of an official, same pictures and similar descriptions.
The Dearborn Police Department has tips from the Federal Trade Commission on avoiding scams:
- Don’t send money to someone claiming to be from the government
- Don’t send personal or financial information to someone claiming to be from the government
- Don’t click links on unexpected messages as they could be viruses
Anyone who receives a message from a fraudulent account is asked to call Sargent Harless at the Dearborn Police Detective Bureau at 313-943-2132.
