Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that the state of Michigan is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 attorneys general to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies largely responsible for foreign robocalls in the United States. The task force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic.
According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include Social Security Administration fraud against seniors, Amazon scams against consumers, and many other scams targeting all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable citizens. An estimated $29.8 billion was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas.
Attorney General Nessel shared the following tips to avoid scams and unwanted calls:
- Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.
- Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals.
- If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.
- Contact the Consumer Protection Division at (877) 765-8388.
- File a Do-Not-Call or Text complaint here.