LANSING, Mich. — Multiple state officials are warning the public of a phone scam where the callers pretend to be employees with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS ).
The MDHHS director said the health department does not call clients and ask for personal information over the phone.
"At most, a department caseworker would ask for a date of birth or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have any doubts, ask to call the worker back and use the local office switchboard to connect," said Robert Gordon.
He along with Attorney General Dana Nessel, and the Michigan State Police are urging members of the public who get a "spoofing" phone call to hang up, not give out personal information and contact the Attorney General's office. Complaints can be filed online or by calling 877-765-8388.
This warning comes after Michigan residents reported receiving calls from scammers using the spoofing tactic pretending to be members of the Kalamazoo branch of MDHHS. Spoofing is when the caller ID says the phone call is from a phone number from an official department.
Here are tips from the MSP on how to avoid becoming a scam victim:
- Never give personal information to an unknown caller;
- Do not respond to unsolicited emails from an unknown sender;
- Confirm the identity of a contact by independently speaking with the identified source (your bank, credit card company, government agency, etc.);
- Use a reliable source to confirm the contact’s phone number or email; and
- Report any suspicious contacts to the police.
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