Residents, especially the elderly, should be aware of attempted scams involving impersonating DTE Energy and even City of Taylor officials.
Scammers have attempted to use convincing automated messaging to lure unsuspecting residents into volunteering important personal information that could be used in a crime. According to a recent report, Americans lost almost $8.8 billion last year to these types of scams, up 30 percent from the previous year.
The most recent DTE scammers use telephone numbers or emails that appear to be coming from the company. The call or email may contain a threat, like immediate discontinuation of your service if you don’t provide credit card information or another form of payment, according to a recent Fox 2 report.
Residents should know that DTE never threatens customers or demands money or related transfers. If you suspect a DTE-related telephone call is a scam, hang up and call the company directly to check on your account.
Likewise, phony business cards are being left at some resident’s doors, inquiring about “selling city property” – adjacent land to a home, wooded parcels, etc. The City of Taylor does not go door-to-door in an effort to sell City-owned property.
If you receive a card like this, do not engage with the person or company and immediately call Taylor City Hall at (734) 287-6550 and ask for customer assistance.