Michigan residents are advised to be wary of a pervasive scam that is preying upon people trying to collect unemployment benefits. A bogus email from a Gmail account appears to be from the Unemployment Insurance Agency with an official-looking attachment.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “There is no government agency, state or federal, that uses Gmail for official purposes. Michigan residents should always examine the full email address if the sender is requesting their personal information.”
Nessel went on to say, “Bad actors are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to deceive people into giving away personal information. This is one of the cruelest scams I’ve ever seen because it targets vulnerable residents who are desperate to receive their UIA benefits – so desperate that they may not inspect the email address to confirm its validity.”
Nessel says not to respond to the fraudulent email, if you receive it. Uploading ID verification through the secure Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) is the only legitimate way to verify your identity. If you have responded to the scam, report it to the Unemployment Insurance Agency immediately and monitor your banking activity.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
