Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office says Michigan residents may be targeted by scammers after multiple tornadoes hit southwest Michigan, killing four and devastating several communities.
“Unfortunately, when people are trying to recover, bad actors look to take advantage of that hardship. Education and awareness are the best tools we have to protect ourselves and our neighbors,” said Attorney General Nessel in a news release.
Four tornadoes, including the earliest EF-3 ever recorded in the state, touched down in southwest Michigan on Friday, March 6, killing four people and injuring at numerous others.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a declaration of a State of Emergency.
Nessel on Monday, March 9, said her office reissued two consumer alerts, including the After the Disaster Consumer Alert and the Utility Imposter Scam Alert.
“Especially after a tornado, affected homeowners want to repair the damage, and remove impacted trees right away to get back to a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, that rush often leads otherwise careful consumers to make decisions they would not normally make,” the AG’s office said.
To avoid falling victim to a scam, Nessel’s office says take the following steps:
Pause before leaping into action
Utility scammers target electric customers
Storm damage also creates an opportunity for Utility Imposter Scams.
Scams often involve a threat to turn off a utility unless the resident pays a certain amount of money in a short amount of time, Nessel’s office said.
Scammers can impersonate a utility company to convince a consumer a utility — like electricity — can be fixed sooner if they pay an additional fee. Scammers are now able to create authentic-looking 800 numbers that appear on your phone display.
In addition:
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan AG warns of storm scams. What you should know
Reporting by Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
