CONSUMER ALERT: 5 Holiday Scams in Michigan

The phone rings. It's your grandson, and he needs your help. He sounds desperate, pleading with you to not call his mom and dad, he just needs money. It sounds exactly like him, and he references other family members, so it must be him. Right?

Related: Live in Michigan? DON'T ANSWER Unknown Calls From These Area Codes

Michigan, brace yourselves, this may come as a surprise but... some people don't care what time of year it is or how holly and or jolly you may be. They only want one thing, and that is to want to scam you out of your money.

Social Catfish, armed with their impressive reverse search data and stats from the FBI and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), revealed some alarming statistics in the 2023 study on Internet Scams.

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Last year, Americans lost a whooping 10.3 billion to online scams. How much were Michigan residents taken for? The Great Lakes State ranked 17th in the nation for money lost to internet fraud, with 13,566 victims who lost a staggering $177 million.

Top 5 Holiday Scams to Dodge in Michigan

The best way to avoid losing your hard-earned money is to know how scammers intend to steal it. The difficulty is that their methods are ever-changing and ever-evolving.

Related: Is Michigan Gullible? Ranking States with Most Online Scams 2022

Though artificial intelligence (AI) has made our lives easier in many aspects, it has also increased the ease with which a criminal can impersonate someone you know and trust.

1. The Michigan 'Sold Out Toy' Scam

Scammers love to take advantage of those looking do to do something nice for someone else, like folks shopping for popular holiday toys. If you find a website that claims to have some in stock, Google the company name followed by 'scam' before authorizing any payments.

2. The Mitten State Secret Santa Deception

Beware your Secret Santa, especially if it was organized by someone you've never met. Thieves go to great lengths to organize online gift exchanges. Social Catfish advises doing a reverse search on their username before wrapping and mailing any gifts.

3. Fooling Michigan Seniors With A.I. Grandchildren

With your family on the road more during the holidays, it's not hard to believe when your grandchild calls you and asks for money because they are stranded on the side of the road. That said, with artificial intelligence cloning voicings and personality traits, it's best to establish a family codeword so genuine emergencies can be distinguished from scams.

4. Michigan Criminals Fraudulent Fraud Alerts Scam

With Christmas comes the holiday rush, and scammers love to prey on the busy. Don't be fooled by online scammers that claim to be your bank or retailers like Amazon saying your account has been compromised. When in doubt, pick up the phone or go directly to the retailer's website.

Fraud Traps on Fake Websites Throughout Michigan

Scammers will send out emails or pop-up ads that take you to fake websites that are nearly exact copies of the real things. Social Catfish recommends using Who.Is to check the website's creation date. Also, check for poor grammar. Michigan thieves may be creative, but they won't be winning spelling competitions anytime soon.

Stay sharp this holiday season Michigan.