LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced that efforts are ongoing in cracking down on illegal robocalls.
Since the mid-November launch of the Robocall Crackdown Team initiative, more than 1,800 robocall complaints have been submitted and more than 1,700 people have signed up to become members of the team.
According to Nessel’s office, the official robocall complaint form has now become the most-viewed complaint form on the office website.
In 2019, over 1.5 billion robocalls were made to Michigan citizens. Of those calls, the three most frequent types were in regards to auto warranties, social security scams, and offers to lower interest rates.
Recorded examples of such calls, provided to the AG’s office by YouMail, can be listened to at the following links:
Reports of these calls filed by Michigan citizens are now being used to help launch investigations.
“Michigan is stepping up to help put an end to illegal robocalls,” Nessel said in a statement. “Robocall scammers are not only a nuisance, they are preying on the pocketbooks of good honest people, and that has to stop.”
Nessel notes that the month of January has seen an increase in other types of phone scams. Examples of these calls, recordings of which were also provided by YouMail, can be listened to at the links below:
“Robocallers will continue to adjust their approaches to scam us, and we must remain vigilant in our efforts to expose them,” Nessel said. “The public can be instrumental in our investigations through our Robocall Crackdown Team and each day we’re continuing to learn more about how these bad actors operate.”
The phone scams listed above are not the only types listed in Nessel’s statement. For example, in Kalamazoo, scams have circulated with callers posing as police officers, and more recently as medical officials.
In fact, Kalamazoo Sheriff Richard Fuller himself has even been contacted by scam callers, who claimed that his warranty was about to expire on a vehicle he did not own.
“They wanted to take my credit card over the phone and get my payment right now,” Fuller said. “Just be alert and know what you owe.”
Nessel says that her office is continuing to crackdown on robocalls by utilizing the following tactics:
- Continuing preliminary investigative work into potential targets involved in major robocalling operations;
- Working with the telecom industry on solutions and approaches to tracing illegal robocalls to their sources;
- Developing protocols and procedures to expand and guide participation in the Robocall Crackdown Team and to supplement enforcement efforts; and
- Working with partners in the Legislature to enact new laws that will allow the department to hold bad actors accountable.
Nessel maintains that the best way to avoid a scam call is to either hang up or avoid answering calls from unknown numbers.
However, citizens are reminded that retaining certain pieces of information can be of great assistance to Nessel’s office in the robocall crackdown. Citizens can file a complaint with the Robocall Crackdown Team Initiative at this link.
Citizens will be asked the following information when filling out a complaint:
- Robocaller’s phone number;
- Your phone number and service provider (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.);
- The date and time of the robocall;
- Whether the robocall was soliciting goods or services worth at least $25; and
- The topic of the robocall scam (e.g. student loans, Social Security numbers, IRS liability, etc.).
Citizens should be aware that only calls made to cell phones can be traced back. Scam calls made to landline phones cannot be pursued.
Additionally, complaints of scams can be filed online at this link, or by calling the Michigan Department of Attorney General at 877-765-8388.
More information about the Robocall Initiative can be found at this link.
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