Warning: The Michigan State Police Warn Of New Scam In Michigan

Ever get a random text from an unknown number, trying to initiate a conversation with you?

Most, if not all of the time, that's not a real person... and if it is, chances are, they want more than friendship from you. More than not, they want the money that is currently sitting in your bank account.

New Scam Making Rounds In Michigan

Residents in Michigan, having been falling victim to a crime since November of 2023, in which they receive a link to a fraudulent website that looked legit.

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These websites will ask for your username and passwords in text fields, which instantly gives your security on that account away. They also will trick you into putting your security questions in so they can use them to get into your accounts.

From there, those thief's will wire money out of your account, and put it into their own.

What To Do If This Happens To You?

It is a very tricky situation to be caught in, and not a very enjoyable for you to try and wade through.

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The Michigan State Police Department says that you should contact your bank or credit union immediately and report the issue. Law enforcement is also warning users to not click on random links sent to them over text.

8 Things To Do If You Paid A Phone Scammer

Merciless phone scammers are targeting unaware folks with schemes involving pleas for charity, car warranties, unpaid traffic tickets, you name it. The Federal Trade Commission says, "Scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it tough to get your money back. No matter what payment method you used to pay, the sooner you act, the better."

If you have paid one of these scammers and then realize you have been scammed, here are 8 tips from the Federal Trade Commission, on what to do if you have paid a scammer.

Gallery Credit: Brad Carpenter/Federal Trade Commission/Canva

LOOK: The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them

Using data from the BBB Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report, Stacker identified the most common and costly types of scams in 2022.

The link may look simple and not dangerous, but could cause damage to you and the money in your bank. Always use caution on any link getting sent to you over a text message.

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