Nessel and LARA reissue warnings about imposter scams

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is joined by Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Director Marlon I. Brown reminding residents to beware of scam artists impersonating governmental officials.  

The first warning was issued in 2021 after officials received reports of licensees being told their professional license was at risk if they did not comply with demands, including a payment to maintain their license with the state. 

Last fall, additional reports came to LARA, including one from an Ann Arbor doctor who was contacted by someone purporting to be from the State of Michigan. 

The caller, who claimed to have the FBI on the other line, threatened the doctor with arrest if they didn’t go to the nearest UPS store to pick up paperwork about their alleged crimes. The doctor was also directed to a spoofed State of Michigan website.  

“Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the lengths bad actors will go to scam an unsuspecting person – in this case a licensed doctor – to obtain personal information or money,” Nessel said. “It’s my hope licensees will heed this warning and remain on high alert any time correspondence is received claiming to be from a LARA representative.”? 
Brown emphasized the following while urging licensees to be cautious:?  

• Licensees should be suspicious of unsolicited requests for any of their personal information. LARA will not contact licensees threatening to suspend their license. 

• If there are any hyperlinks, check the URL before clicking. LARA websites will have "michigan.gov" in the URL.? 

• As a licensee, if you suspect fraud, report it immediately by emailing LARA or calling 517-241-0199.

“No one from LARA will ever reach out to you with a threat to suspend your license unless you pay them money,” Brown said. “Our investigators have teamed up with Michigan State Police to put a stop to as many scams as possible - but we need our licensees to be alert to the possibility that the next text, email, or phone call they get about their license may be someone trying to scam them.”   

In February of this year, Nessel warned residents about bad actors who were sending emails purporting to be from Nessel. The emails claimed to offer help with scammers attempting to steal the recipient’s tax refund. However, the emails themselves were a scam.

A library of consumer alerts created by the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team is available online and organized by a number of categories at www.michigan.gov/consumerprotection/protect-yourself/search-for-consumer-alert. 

To file a complaint with the Department of Attorney General, contact: 

Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI
48909 517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388