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AG: With $400 refund checks are in the mail, be on the lookout for scams

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued warning Thursday, as 'bad actors' are on the prowl.

As $400-auto-refund checks are being sent out across the state, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Thursday warned the public to be on the lookout for scam artists trying to steal the money.

The checks stem from auto-reform legislation passed back in 2019 that requires the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) to pay back a $3 billion surplus from the catastrophic accident survivor fund. While drivers across the state of Michigan should expect $400 for every insured vehicle by May 9th of this year, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Thursday said con-men are already preparing to rob people of their funds.

“Bad actors will try to use these payments, as a scam opportunity,” Nessel said.

Nessel says, the most common type of scam will be someone pretending to be with an insurance agency or government agency, and wanting to discuss one’s refund with a consumer.

So be on the lookout. And be skeptical.

“Now remember, no one is going to call you, or email you or text you prior to sending you the money,” Nessel said. “So if you are contacted by someone claiming to need personal information prior to cutting that check, it’s a scam—and report it to my Consumer Protection Team.”

Meanwhile, every driver of a vehicle insured as of 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2021, should receive a check.