IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — The Ionia County Sheriff's Office has a warning: watch out for scam letters circulating the region.
The sheriff's office shared a letter on Facebook Wednesday evening, writing the letters often also included a check as well.
The scam wants the recipient to cash the check and "be an observer." As part of the scam, you cash the check, keep a certain amount and then purchase gift cards to retailers like eBay and Apple to send to the scammer.
"No legitimate business does this," the sheriff's office continues on Facebook. "If you read the letters carefully, you will find they are filled with spelling and grammatical errors as well."
The Ionia County Sheriff's Office advises residents to disregard the letters and to never make payments to anything via a pre-paid credit card or gift cards.
This is just one of many ways scammers are trying to cheat people out of their money. Ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office shared warnings and information about a number of different scams including drop shopping and gifting circles.
The AG's office put together a series of alerts called the 15 Days of Scams. It starts Dec. 2 and continues through Dec. 20 on a special section on the AG’s homepage with the goal of informing Michiganders about all the scams and tactics used.
This holiday season, consumers are encouraged to contact the Consumer Protection Division to file a complaint online or via phone by calling 877-765-8388.
Other scams to watch out for:
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