GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Attorney General Dana Nessel is launching a new website to help protect you from common scams during the winter holiday season.
The state's new consumer protection website makes it easier than ever to research different scams and charities that may be trying to get money from you during the holiday season.
The site has a new search tool that allows you to search different consumer alerts and common scams. There is also an Identity Theft Support page that will help you detect and report identity theft for both personal and business use.
Nessel's office is hoping you will use the page and even bookmark it on your phone and computer so you have the information you need to protect yourself right at your fingertips. She also says with the ever-changing times and technology, you need to keep an eye out for spoofed websites made with artificial intelligence.
"The old adage 'if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is' really holds true in this realm, right?" says Nessel. "You're going to be advertised all kinds of things, and you'll say to yourself, wow, what an amazing sale. I've been looking for patio chairs exactly like that and these are just a fraction of the price that I've seen. Well, maybe there's a reason for that. And, you know, to be cautious to hold off and do investigate literally every website, every product, before you ultimately go ahead and you enter your personal information or your credit card and you make that purchase."
Beginning on Black Friday and continuing through late-December, the Attorney General's website and social media channels will focus on educating consumers on 23 varying tactics commonly used to cheat consumers out of their funds during the holidays.
If you believe you are victim of a scam, contact the Attorney General's office or visit the consumer protection website here.
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