A consumer warning has been issued by the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency due to a wave of scam calls. Scam callers are posing as agency employees to deceive residents into paying a fee for access to unpaid benefits.

The scammers are asking for a one-time payment in exchange for the release of owed benefits. In one reported instance, a resident was asked to pay $105 to receive $4,000 allegedly owed by the agency.

Residents who receive such calls are advised to hang up and report the incident to the agency and law enforcement. Further details on the scam and how to report it are available from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.