State Officials Issue Warning About Utility Imposter Scams
With the approaching holiday season, scammers have increased efforts to deceive people into giving them money by impersonating utility workers. Authorities have issued a warning about scammers attempting to obtain customers’ financial information.
Phone Scams
One common method is phone scams, where people pretend to represent a utility company. They may even manipulate caller ID to appear as specific utility companies. If you answer the call, they may employ a recorded message that mimics an official company’s voice. These scammers may threaten to disconnect your natural gas, water, or electricity and demand immediate payment through methods like prepaid debit cards, digital payment apps like Zelle, or unconventional payment options such as Bitcoin.
Scammers may also try to solicit personal information by posing as representatives enrolling you in government programs claiming to reduce energy bills. If you have any doubts about a call, email, or text message, it’s advisable to follow your instincts. You can disconnect from suspicious callers, ignore suspicious emails and texts, and contact your utility company to verify your payment status and account details.
Door-to-door Scams
It’s essential to be cautious about door-to-door scams as well. Scammers may request to review your recent bills, promising to secure lower rates. They may discreetly photograph your bill and later misuse that information to access your banking details. If someone at your doorstep claims to be from a utility company, don’t hesitate to ask for identification as a precaution.
According to state officials, scammers can be persuasive and often target vulnerable people, including seniors and those in low-income communities. They may also aim their scams at small business owners during peak service hours.
If necessary, you can report a scam to the Michigan Public Service Commission online or by calling 800-292-9555.
If you’ve mistakenly provided your bank account or credit card information to someone you suspect may have been an impostor, you should contact your bank or credit card company without delay.
Customers who feel threatened during interactions with impostors should contact local law enforcement for assistance.
Michigan: Our 1 Mile Freeway + More Fun Facts About Our Roads
Michigan's shortest freeway is 1.1 miles long.
Currently, Michigan has one of the nation’s shortest signed interstates. The shortest freeway in Michigan is only 1.1 miles long. Though not signed, New York has a 0.70 miles freeway, which is even smaller than Michigan’s smallest.
Michigan has the longest remaining camelback bridge.
The three-span US-12 camelback bridge in Mottville is Michigan’s longest remaining bridge of this type. Constructed in 1922, these bridges are found primarily in Michigan and Ontario, Canada.
Michigan has a bridge with towers almost as tall as the Washington Monument.
The towers on the Mackinac Bridge or “Mighty Mac” (552 feet high) are almost as tall as the Washington Monument (555 feet high). The Mackinac Bridge is currently the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world.
Michigan's first road map only had 3 roads on it.
The first Michigan road map, with only three roads on it, was published by the United States Congress in 1826. As a matter of fact, the first surveyed road in Michigan was Pontiac Road (now called M-1 or Woodward Avenue) connecting Detroit and Pontiac in 1819.
Michigan has the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned.
M-185 on Mackinac Island is the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned. Motorized vehicles have been prohibited on Mackinac Island since 1896 because the horses were disturbed by the noisy engines of some of the island’s first cars. Furthermore, carriage drivers formed an association, convincing islanders to ban automobiles.
The longest highway in Michigan passes through six different states.
The longest highway in Michigan is I-75, which runs 395 miles from the Ohio border to the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie. I-75 also passes through six different states. At its north end, it starts on the Canada/U.S. border at the top of Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie. Then it heads south to Naples in Florida, where it bends east and runs across to Miami.
Michigan has a total of 120,256 miles of paved roadway.
MDOT says that there is enough pavement on Michigan roadways to build a one-lane road from the Earth to the moon. Michigan has a total of 120,256 miles of paved roadway. This includes 9,669 route miles of state trunkline, 89,444 route miles of county roads, and 21,198 route miles of city and village streets. However, according to NASA, the Moon us an average of 238,855 miles away from Earth.
Several Michigan highways began as Native American trails.
Eight Michigan highways began as Native American trails, US-2 (from Sault Ste. Marie to Green Bay); I-75 (from Detroit to Saginaw), I-94 (from Detroit to St. Joseph; I-96 (from Detroit to Grand Rapids), I-94 (from Detroit to Port Huron), US-41 (from L’Anse to Marquette), and US-12 (from Ypsilanti to Chicago). Michigan’s three largest tribes are the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa), the Odawa (also called Ottowa) and the Potawatomi (also called the Bode’wadmi). Michigan also federally recognizes these tribes and others in the state.
