Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel has sounded an alarm about the growing trend of celebrity impersonation scams. Scammers, ever the opportunists, pretend to be figures such as Snoop Dogg, Garth Brooks, and Kid Rock, targeting trusting fans and individuals with schemes that could cripple their finances. These dubious characters also masquerade as high-ranking military officials to swindle money from their victims.
Nessel's warning, which may have sparked equal amounts of amusement and concern, came with a blunt clarification: "While it may be disappointing to hear, you are probably not in a secret, long-distance relationship with Garth Brooks," she said, per Michigan Department of Attorney General press release. This cautionary statement was part of the AG's consumer alerts intended to educate Michigan residents about various online scams, including romance scams and so-called "pig butchering" cryptocurrency ploys. As highlighted by these alerts, the scams can range from bogus romantic liaisons with celebrities to deceptive merchandise sales and fake investment opportunities endorsed by public figures.
On a particularly enlightening episode of the "Pantsuits and Lawsuits" podcast, which featured Nessel and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, they delved into the menace posed by "pig butchering" scams. Seniors have notably been at risk in both of their states. In a collaborative effort to combat these frauds, the two AGs were joined by AARP's Alex Juarez and Mark Fetterhoff, who discussed the importance of recognizing and avoiding such traps. It was emphasized how elder citizens could reach out to AARP's ElderWatch for guidance, available via a call to 800-222-4444 or through an email for peer-to-peer counseling.
Unsurprisingly, Nessel's office recommends never opening a bank account at the behest of an online sweetheart or re-shipping goods sent to you by them. Additional advice includes refraining from financial gifts of any kind, such as money, prepaid gift cards, or even trendy cryptocurrency transfers. One should keep communications confined to the original contact platform and not provide personal phone numbers or emails.
Advanced artificial intelligence has added a new layer of complexity to impersonation scams with the advent of deepfake audio and video technology. Scammers use this to their advantage, cloning voices and manipulating images to conduct distressing demands for money over the phone. As guidance, Nessel suggests consumers should exercise caution with caller IDs, which can be spoofed, and be wary of requests that demand payment through anything less than traditional means—cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers. Remembering that legitimate government entities and officials will never seek payments in these unconventional forms is also key.
For more details or to file a complaint, Michigan residents can contact the Consumer Protection Team at the Department of Attorney General at 517-335-7599 or seek further information through the official website.
