International Fraud Awareness Week is November 17 – 23, 2024, and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is reminding consumers to protect their personal and financial information from fraudsters and criminals. Consumers who suspect they have fallen victim to fraud should report it to the DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit (FIU).

“Protecting Michiganders is DIFS’ number one priority. Fraud schemes have become more sophisticated, often using a recognizable phone number or caller ID to trick consumers into disclosing sensitive information,” said DIFS Director Anita Fox. “The most important thing you can do to protect your information is to never give out your personal information to anyone who contacts you no matter how legitimate the call, text, or email seems. With these threats increasing, consumers must be aware and take steps to protect their personal and financial information. Michiganders who suspect fraud can report it online or call DIFS at 877-999-6442 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Here are important steps that consumers can take to avoid falling victim to fraud:

– NEVER give personal or account information to anyone calling YOU, even if the caller says it is for “verification purposes.” Personal information or identity-verifying information should be provided only to people or companies you have contacted.

– If the person contacting you says that there is a problem that must be resolved immediately, hang up and call the phone number that you know will get you to someone who can be trusted with personal or account information. This could be the phone number on your debit or credit card, account statement, or on mailed correspondence from the company. Do NOT call phone numbers or click on links provided in text messages or voicemails by the person contacting you, and never reply to an unsolicited text message.

– In addition to a password to log into accounts use multifactor authentication, such as a security code sent to you via text message or email. Do NOT provide this security code to anyone under any circumstance. Other multifactor authentication measures can include a scan of your fingerprint, retina, or face on a mobile device or a passcode via an authentication app.

The DIFS FIU investigates criminal and fraudulent activity related to the insurance and financial markets. DIFS works with the Attorney General and other state, county, and local law enforcement to investigate these cases and refer them for prosecution. In addition to the work done by the FIU, DIFS also offers a variety of resources to help fight fraud, including the DIFS website, publications, videos, and the DIFS Locator, which enables consumers to verify that they are working with properly licensed individuals and businesses in the insurance and financial services industries.

Suspected fraud in the insurance and financial sectors can be reported to the FIU safely, easily, and, in most cases, anonymously by calling 877-999-6442 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by visiting Michigan.gov/ReportFraud2DIFS.