Scammers pose as Michigan officials to rip off people licensed by state
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Scammers are pretending to be with the State of Michigan to trick licensees into giving them personal information and money.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the scammers are contacting people licensed by the state and telling them their licenses are at risk if they do not comply with demands, such as payment.
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"No one from our office in [Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs] will ever reach out to you and threaten to suspend your license," said department Director Orlene Hawks. "Our investigators have teamed up with Michigan State Police to put a stop to as many scams as possible - but we need our licensees to be alert to the possibility that the next text, email, or phone call they get about their license may be someone trying to scam them."
Hawks provided tips for avoiding becoming a victim:
- Licensees should be cautious of unsolicited requests for any of their personal information. LARA will not contact you directly asking for personal information.
- Be suspicious of any unexpected emails or links to websites. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
- Do not respond to - or open hyperlinks in - emails or text messages about validating your personal data.
- If there are any hyperlinks, check the URL before clicking. LARA websites will have "michigan.gov" in the URL.
- If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to LARA by calling 517-241-0199 or by emailing.
"Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the lengths bad actors will go to scam an unsuspecting person - in this case a licensed professional - to obtain personal information or money," AG Dana Nessel said. "It's my hope licensees will heed this warning and remain on high alert any time correspondence is received claiming to be from a LARA representative."