A wave of scam calls from individuals purporting to be from the Michigan’s unemployment office has prompted a consumer warning from the agency.
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) says the scam callers are posing as UIA employees to deceive unsuspecting residents into paying a one-time fee in order to get access to owed unemployment benefits.
In one instance, a Michigan resident was told by a scam caller claiming to be a human resources manager with UIA, that they must pay a $105 fee to receive $4,000 the agency allegedly owed them. The call came from a number with a 313 area code and the scammer reportedly provided an employee number, according to the UIA.
UIA officials are encouraging anyone who receives a scam call to hang up right away and report it to the agency, as well as to local law enforcement. They also are reminding residents who qualify for benefits that the agency would never ask them to pay a fee in order to receive unemployment benefits. There is also no cost to apply.
“There is no end to the ways criminals prey on people to try to steal their money,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Michigan UIA, in a statement. “You should be cautious if you are contacted randomly by someone who says they are from the UIA and offering you money.”
Palmer says there are two secure ways that an individual can receive benefits they’re entitled to:
- Posted to a debit card from U.S. Bank, a nationally known, reputable institution
- By direct deposit into your own bank account
“You will never be asked by the UIA to pay a fee to access the money you were approved to receive,” he added.
The Unemployment Insurance Integrity Center, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, has reported similar scams in other states in recent months. The “artificial intelligence-driven” fraudulent call operation reportedly targeted North Dakota residents, saying $4,000 in unclaimed unemployment insurance benefits was available. The caller then would try to collect personally identifiable information from the targeted victim.
Here’s what else you can do to avoid becoming a victim:
- Don’t click on links in random emails that appear to be from the UIA asking you for a username or login information
- Verify with the UIA if you receive an email or phone call that claims to be from the agency
- Don’t respond to random texts claiming to be from the UIA — the agency never randomly texts claimants or employers — delete them and report them as spam
- Don’t share personal information if you receive a random call claiming to be from the UIA
- Stay up-to-date with your MiWAM account by monitoring correspondence or requests for information from the agency
To verify whether a call, text or email from Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency is legitimate, residents are encouraged to call the agency’s Customer Service hotline at 866-500-0017.