By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Attorney General Mike Cox recently warned consumers about con artists who are targeting Michigan seniors with telephone calls.

“Whatever scam they are using, my advice remains the same—never give  personal information to someone you don’t know who calls you on the telephone,” Cox says.

Complaints received by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division indicate that calls range from offers of assistance with enrolling the senior in the Medicare prescription drug benefit plan to claims that the senior’s Medicare card will expire. Callers seek personal information including bank account, credit card, and social security numbers.

Utilize Do Not Call Registry
Cox also encourages consumers to take advantage the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Do Not Call Registry and free annual credit reports.

Consumers can register with the FTC by telephone at 1-888-382-1222 or online at www.donotcall.gov.

Order free credit reports
Michigan citizens are also entitled to free credit reports once every 12 months from each of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Free credit reports can be obtained by mail by sending requests to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281; by telephone at 1-877-322-8228; or online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Note: this is the only government-authorized website offering free reports—beware of others as they may be part of a scam aimed at obtaining your personal information.