Lansing, MI - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wants consumers to be on the lookout for scam emails that may contain her name.
It has been recently reported to the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team that bad actors are sending emails purporting to be from Nessel. The email claims to offer help with scammers attempting to steal the recipient’s tax refund. However, the emails themselves are a scam.
The attorney general’s duties protecting and serving the people of Michigan do not include collecting or facilitating the collection of federal tax debt, so her name would never be attached to a debt collection email. Nessel has re-issued her IRS Phone and Email Tax Scams alert to remind consumers of how these scams look and sound.
“Each year at tax time, bad actors appear out of the woodwork to scam hard-working consumers out of their tax refund,” Nessel said. “Remember, government agencies rarely ask for personal information by phone or email. These calls and emails should be reported immediately. My Consumer Protection Team stands ready to offer resources and advice when needed.”
In the scam email, the person writing from a fake “Attorney Dana Nessel” email address claims to have received information that the recipient had complained about their tax refund. The fake attorney general goes on to ask the taxpayer, “Are you dealing with scammers? If so, kindly get back to me with the letter whereas, scammers are going to cost a huge amount of debt that you can’t even complete it through your entire living…”
Readers will notice the broken English and incorrect tenses, which are important clues to the email’s lack of authenticity. Additionally, the emails are purportedly being sent from a gmail account, not an official state or federal email address.
Nessel also wants to inform the public about what the IRS will never do. As the alert points out, the IRS will never:
- Demand immediate payment.
- Demand payment without any chance to appeal or dispute the amount due.
- Threaten to have you arrested.
- Require payment in the form of a gift card, pre-paid debit card, or wire transfer.
- Call, text, or email you and ask for your personal or financial information.
A library of consumer alerts created by the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team is available online and organized by a number of categories.
To file a complaint with the Department of Attorney General, residents are encouraged to contact:
Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form