(WXYZ) — A new scam using letters posing as the State of Michigan is causing Attorney General Dana Nessel to raise alarm to Michigan residents and businesses.
“Posing as our state agencies to scare businesses and workers into paying entities that they don’t owe is just another way bad actors have devised to steal from Michigan residents,” said Nessel in a press release.
With this scam, people are informed of a state debt that is overdue and requires urgent payment through a toll-free number to relieve the balance. Recipients are threatened with having their assets such as cars, bank accounts and cash seized if these debts are not paid.
This scam also uses personal information from web records to sound legitimate and increase the likelihood of payment. These letters also pose as the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) and the Michigan Department of Treasury.
“I encourage anyone who believes they have been scammed to contact the consumer protection team in my office. We are committed to holding accountable those who use dishonesty and coercion to scam Michigan residents out of their hard-earned dollars,” said Nessel in a statement.
Anyone who has questions about state debts should call the Treasury Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265. Anyone who has questions about unemployment insurance can visit the UIA website or call the UIA Customer Service line at 866-500-0017.
