(Lansing, MI) - The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency – or UIA – is warning residents about a text messaging scam. The Agency’s anti-fraud investigators have learned of a recent phishing scheme to try to steal money and personal information from Michigan workers filing for unemployment benefits. The text message comes from an out-of-state phone number and provides a link to claim back payments. UIA does not use text messaging to correspond with claimants. The agency advises that recipients should not click on the link, but to instead report it as ‘junk’ or ‘spam’ and then delete the text.
UIA communicates with claimants through their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account, letters mailed to the current address on file or by phone.
The suspicious text message is from a phone number with a 210 Area Code, which is in Texas. The message reads in part: “MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: Your back payment deposit of $2,800 is now pending on your profile.” It then instructs the recipient to click on a strange link to receive payment. The link is to a fake, replica UIA website.
UIA alerts public of text message phishing scam
