SCAM ALERT

The Michigan Lottery wants people to be aware of scammers who are claiming to be lottery agents or prize winners.

Did you receive an unexpected invoice from PayPal? Don’t send the money, it’s a scam.

If you’re in the market for a used car and have been shopping around online, it’s important to know which ads are legitimate, and which are scams.

Scammers are repeatedly using the same tactics to steal money and personal information from their victims in Michigan.

Michigan drivers with auto insurance are expecting $400 refunds per vehicle.

Michigan drivers with auto insurance are expecting $400 refunds per vehicle.

A person who claimed to be Eminem tried to scam a local man who was looking for help to care for his injured grandson.

The Michigan Attorney General’s office issued a scam alert about a circulating call that appears to impersonate Wayne County officials.

Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, you’re bound to run into a few scams while you shop online.

Reports of identity theft in the U.S. doubled last year, and the problem isn’t going away anytime soon.

A Downriver man’s checking account was completely wiped out after a phone call with who he thought was a representative of his credit union.

Ordering takeout is easier these days than ever before -- but, of course, with the convenience comes the potential for scams.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of scammers posing as lieutenants or other officers in an attempt to collect money, even threatening to arrest people if they do not pay.

The first child tax credit payments go out next week, and experts are already warning that along with the money comes the threat of scam artists trying to take it.

Residents are encouraged to contact Berkley Public Safety if they have concerns of potential fraud.

The West Bloomfield Police Department issued a scam alert over the weekend about people posing as Amazon employees and requesting payments or fees to keep accounts active.

The caller said all he had to do was buy $480 in eBay gift cards. Prepaid gift cards are being requested in several different types of scams, including government employee impersonation scams, secret shopper scams and puppy scams. The Better Business Bureau scam tracker showed that Americans lost nearly $3 million involving payments with prepaid gift cards in 2020. “Whenever you purchase a prepaid gift card, unfortunately it’s just like cash, you can’t get that money back,” Blankenship said. Click here for more information on prepaid gift card scams.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents of scammers posing as law enforcement agencies or other companies, demanding payment for warrants or services via gift cards. “Make sure to be aware that no law enforcement agency will ever contact you by phone demanding that you pay, regardless of payment method, for your warrant to disappear. Spoofing allows scammers to disguise their actual phone numbers and instead show a local phone number on the caller ID. “The framework of these scams – whether it’s a law enforcement, grandparent, or tech support scam – are always the same. AdTo report fraud or if you have a general consumer complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team online or by calling 877-765-8388.

DETROIT – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is putting out a warning to protect consumers from scammers who are preying on people’s fears during the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been reports of fake COVID-19 test kits and now there are fake vaccines being sold online. Thieves want more than just your money, they want your personal money. READ: Scammers use multiple methods to target victims -- Here’s what to watch out forWatch the video for the full report.

TROY, Mich. – A Troy grandmother was scammed out of $15,000 after receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be her grandson. The victim spoke with the supposed attorney and sent him $10,258 from her bank to a bank in Mexico. Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine. In one version of this scam, con artists impersonate grandchildren in distress to trick concerned grandparents into sending money. If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money:

You may have seen a Facebook post that claimed a free Jayco RV would be given away to someone who shares and comments on the post -- or you’ve seen posts similar to it. RELATED: Better Business Bureau warns consumers of ‘going out of business’ online shopping scamMelanie Duguesnel, with the Better Business Bureau, said that by liking the page, you’re potentially giving your personal information away. The BBB is warning people that “Like Farming” scams are still going strong. The free RV scam is so popular that Jayco has a post pinned to the top of its Facebook page to let people know they aren’t running a giveaway. READ: More scam coverageTo prevent from falling for these scams, use your good judgement and don’t “Like” every post on your feed -- that’s what scammers are hoping you’ll do.

DETROIT – Gift cards are one of the most popular items to give or receive this time of year. Reselling or trading the gift card that might not be right for you could create some big problems if you don’t do your homework. A gift card reselling company based in Texas is under investigation because some people say they were duped. “A lot of con-artists out there are going to calling, emailing, looking for your personal information. They don’t need you personal information, they don’t need your bank account numbers.

The Better Business Bureau is sounding the alarm in hopes you won’t be fooled. Read: How Henry Ford Hospital played key role in Moderna vaccine studyCon artist are offering up ways to get a vaccine by telling people they can take part in clinical trials. Watch out for red flags -- if you haven’t inquired about a clinical trial and you get a message about one, delete it. Once a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, Henry Ford says it is prepared to receive and store the vaccine -- which requires storage at extremely low temperatures. Drug companies Pfizer and Moderna have both developed promising COVID-19 vaccines that are nearing approval in the U.S.

You may have seen a Facebook post that claimed a free Jayco RV would be given away to someone who shares and comments on the post -- or you’ve seen posts similar to it. RELATED: Better Business Bureau warns consumers of ‘going out of business’ online shopping scamMelanie Duguesnel, with the Better Business Bureau, said that by liking the page, you’re potentially giving your personal information away. The BBB is warning people that “Like Farming” scams are still going strong. The free RV scam is so popular that Jayco has a post pinned to the top of its Facebook page to let people know they aren’t running a giveaway. READ: More scam coverageTo prevent from falling for these scams, use your good judgement and don’t “Like” every post on your feed -- that’s what scammers are hoping you’ll do.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning people about an uptick in fake package delivery texts that scammers are using to attempt to gain personal information from a victim. Nessel said recent complaints report that the texts come from unfamiliar phone numbers pretending to be a package delivery notice from Amazon, FedEx or other services. (using different numbers and links in the message)”“Jessica, urgent notice about your USPS package 3K9355 from 04/10/2020. If you think the message is real you should contact the delivery company directly using a phone number you know you can verify. If you get a fraudulent delivery message you can report it by using the methods below:Report it on the messaging app.

DETROIT – Con artists are posing as Amazon employees, calling people, and claiming to need information about their account, according to the Better Business Bureau. The scammers have been spoofing the Better Business Bureau’s number while making this scam calls. READ: Better Business Bureau warns consumers of ‘going out of business’ online shopping scamHow does the scam work? Amazon will never ask you to disclose sensitive personal information or offer you a refund you don’t expect. Amazon will also never send you an unsolicited message that asks you to provide personal information.

DETROIT – The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about an online shopping scam involving “going out of business” advertisements. Melanie Duquesnel, president of the Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Michigan, said the difficulty they’re finding is that clients are not getting the product but yet they’re getting charged for it. READ: Scammers use multiple methods to target victims -- Here’s what to watch out for“Just because an advertisement is on Facebook doesn’t mean that it’s a 100% trustworthy business,” Duquesnel said. With more people buying cars, RVs and boats online, the BBB says vehicle shipper and escrow scams are going up. How do you know that you’re going to get your money back?” Duquesnel said.

DETROIT – Thieves are targeting victims with scams ranging from the election to puppies and even using the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to rip people off. Here’s the latest information on these scams so the public can stay informed and protect themselves. READ: AG Nessel, Humane Society warn consumers of puppy scams during COVID-19 pandemicThe Federal Trade Commission has also been tracking COVID-19 scams and there have been hundreds. There have also been reports of undelivered goods, robo call scams and text and email related scams. Scammers are usually trying to get victims’ personal information, like their social security number.

DETROIT New numbers paint a disturbing picture of who is being targeted, and how much thieves are stealing. There have been 2,736 complaints filed in Michigan with the Federal Trade Commission since March -- a 117% increase since the beginning of the pandemic. Nationally, 144,727 complaints have been filed with the FTC since March, with $93 million total in loses. The most common scams include price gouging, undelivered goods, free groceries scams, identity theft, email and text scams and robocall scams. RELATED: New COVID-19 scams to watch out forIf you have been contacted by someone impersonating a government official, file a complaint with the FTC on its official website or by calling 877-FTC-Help.

DETROIT You just cant afford to let your guard down -- the Better Business Bureau has put out an alert on new COVID-19 scams. Some have already cost people big money and put their safety at risk. The BBB released new information about the scams theyre tracking in Metro Detroit. Starting with masks -- some are offered online for big money with big promises. RELATED: Michigan Attorney General: Stop selling fake COVID-19 testsAnd there have been dozens of financial scams during the pandemic.

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – During the past week the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office has taken two reports where citizens have been scammed out of thousands of dollars. Both citizens reported that they received telephone calls from an individual claiming to work for the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. On Feb. 7, a 33-year-old man from Macomb Township received a call from a male who indicated he was calling from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. The caller was also able to ghost the Sheriff’s Office telephone number, meaning that the phone number displayed as a Sheriff’s Office phone number. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office will not call any member of the public and ask for money or gift cards in lieu of arrest.

Phone scammers are targeting seniors, threatening to shut off their gas or power unless paid, often demanding payments in gift cards or Bitcoin. People are advised to use caution as these scammers are using public utility companies as their caller ID. Remember, companies do not call customers demanding payment and do not accept payments in the form of gift cards or Bitcoin. For more information from the state of Michigan, go here. Watch above for more information.

Reminder: Companies do not call customers demanding paymentIf you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.