Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Director Orlene Hawks are alerting professionals licensed by the State of Michigan to beware of scam artists impersonating state officials in an effort to obtain personal information, or even money, from a licensee.
Attorney General Nessel has warned the public about bad actors who use legitimate government references and the threat of government action to trick individuals into taking action that facilitates theft. This warning comes after officials became aware of licensees being targeted recently and told their license was at risk if they did not comply with demands, including a payment to maintain their license with the state.
LARA urged licensees to beware of elaborate, sophisticated scams – notably scams where callers identify themselves as LARA staffers reaching out to physicians and other licensed professionals threatening to suspend their license. LARA would never do that. Investigators and Michigan State Police have teamed up to stop these scams, however, licensees need to be on alert to the possibility of being a targeted victim.
Last fall, several State of Michigan licensees encountered spam emails or spam websites impersonating LARA. LARA Director, Orlene Hawks notes licensees should be cautious of unsolicited requests for any of their personal information. LARA will not contact you directly asking for personal information.
- Be suspicious of any unexpected emails or links to websites. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
- Do not respond to – or open hyperlinks in – emails or text messages about validating your personal data.
- If there are any hyperlinks, check the URL before clicking. LARA websites will have “michigan.gov” in the URL.
- If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to LARA by calling 517-241-0199 or by emailing BPLHelp@michigan.gov.
Remember: Do not reply to any suspicious emails and never provide personal information. If personal information is compromised, it may be used to commit identity theft or used in other fraud schemes. More details on how Michiganders can protect their personal information are available on the Consumer Protection Team’s webpage.