Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reissuing her consumer alert on phishing scams to warn residents of ways scammers are conning consumers this holiday season, particularly when it comes to package deliveries.
Scammers may employ various tactics to steal personal information and financial data. Phishing is a cyberattack where a criminal poses as a trusted person/organization to trick potential victims into sharing sensitive data or sending money. Smishing has the same goal but comes in the form of a text message.
The messages may appear to be from legitimate sources like the USPS or Amazon and contain links that lead to fake websites designed to steal login credentials, credit card details, or other sensitive information. Oftentimes, the USPS smishing scam alerts the victim to an alleged delayed package and then requires a purchase for updates.
“The increase in online shopping and home deliveries has provided opportunities for criminals to masquerade as delivery companies,” Nessel said. “Clicking on a link in an email or text could take you to a fake site where you will be asked to enter more details to prove your identity or to pay a non-existent fee. Do not reply to any suspicious text or email and be sure to report phishers to the FTC and my Department.”
If consumers receive a suspicious email or text, they should:
- Not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms, or spyware.
- Not click links that appear in the message. Links in phishing messages direct consumers to fraudulent websites.
- Not reply to the sender. Ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
Report it. Forward suspected phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group. Consumers who receive a smishing text message should forward it to SPAM (7726), then report the smishing attack to the FTC.
If consumers receive a suspicious phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt, they are advised to:
- Hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If their caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
- Not respond to the caller’s requests. Legitimate companies will never call consumers to request personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
Victims of a scam can file a complaint by contacting the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team at:
Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form
