Mich. attorney general issues alert about new identity theft scam

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is warning consumers to be aware of a telephone scam in which phony information is transmitted through Caller ID as a ruse to con individuals into providing illicit callers with sensitive personal information. Cox also released a Consumer Alert that provides tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of telemarketing scams.

“Many people rely on Caller ID as a way to shield their privacy,” Cox said. “Unfortunately, scammers are taking advantage of this protective technology as a way to make bogus phone calls appear to be coming from legitimate sources.”

The warning comes in response to reports of a recent scam in which residents of the Washington, D.C., area received information over Caller ID stating that calls they were receiving originated from a District Courthouse. In this particular scam, the identity thieves tricked individuals by telling them that they had failed to report for jury duty and that they could face fines or arrest for their failure to have served. In an attempt to prove their innocence, several victims of the scam provided sensitive personal information.

Cox encourages consumers to take advantage of two complimentary identity theft prevention measures: the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry, and Free Annual Credit Reports.

For additional information on telemarketing and Identity Theft fraud go to http://www.michigan.gov/ag.

Source: Michigan Attorney General’s Office