Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has reissued a consumer alert to warn residents about phishing scams during the holiday season, particularly concerning package deliveries. Phishing involves criminals posing as trusted entities to obtain personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. A similar tactic, smishing, uses text messages for the same purpose.
Scammers often disguise their communications as coming from legitimate sources such as USPS or Amazon. These messages contain links leading to fake websites designed to steal sensitive information like login credentials and credit card details. A common USPS smishing scam falsely informs victims of a delayed package, prompting them to make a purchase for updates.
Nessel stated, “The increase in online shopping and home deliveries has provided opportunities for criminals to masquerade as delivery companies.” She advised against clicking on suspicious links and emphasized reporting phishing attempts to the FTC and her department.
Consumers are urged not to download attachments or click on links in suspicious messages, as these may lead to fraudulent websites or contain malware. They should also avoid responding to senders or calling any numbers provided in such messages. Instead, they should report phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group and forward smishing texts to SPAM (7726) before reporting them to the FTC.
In cases of suspicious phone calls that appear to be phishing attempts, consumers are advised to hang up immediately and not provide any personal information. Area codes can be misleading; thus, a local area code does not guarantee a local caller.
Victims of scams can file complaints with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team by mail at P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909; by phone at 517-335-7599; via fax at 517-241-3771; toll-free at 877-765-8388; or through an online complaint form.