Consumers
continue to
report
receiving
spam e-mail
messages
that claim
to be sent
by top FBI
officials.
As
with
previous
spam
attacks, the
latest
versions use
the names of
several high
ranking
executives
within the
FBI and even
the Internet
Crime
Compliant
Center (IC3)
in an
attempt to
defraud
consumers.
These
e-mails are
hoaxes and
recipients
are urged
not to
respond.
Many of
the spam
e-mails
currently in
circulation
claim to: be
from an
“official
order” from
the FBI’s
non-existent
Anti-Terrorist
and Monetary
Crimes
Division or
from an
alleged FBI
unit in
Nigeria;
confirm an
inheritance;
or contain a
lottery
notification.
The e-mails
inform
recipients
they have
been named
the
beneficiary
of millions
of dollars.
To claim the
large sum,
recipients
are
instructed
to furnish
their
personally
identifiable
information
(PII) and
are often
threatened
with some
type of
penalty,
such as
prosecution,
if they fail
to do so.
Specific PII
information
requested
includes,
but is not
limited to,
the
recipient’s
name,
banking
information,
telephone
number, and
a copy of
their
passport.
The spam
e-mail
allegedly
from the IC3
states that
the
recipient
has extorted
money and
will be
given a
limited
amount of
time to
refund the
money or
face
prosecution.
The FBI
does not
send
unsolicited
e-mails of
this nature.
FBI
executives
are briefed
on numerous
investigations
but do not
personally
contact
consumers
regarding
such
matters. In
addition,
the IC3 does
not send
threatening
letters to
consumers
demanding
payments for
Internet
crimes.
Consumers
should not
respond to
any
unsolicited
e-mails or
click on any
embedded
links
associated
with such
e-mails, as
they may
contain
viruses or
malware. It
is
imperative
consumers
guard their
PII.
Providing
your PII
will
compromise
your
identity.
“Unfortunately
these types
of scams do
not seem to
be going
away any
time soon.
They
continue to
cycle
through the
Internet
using names
of different
government
officials
and
agencies.
Scammers
will
continue to
seek new
ways to gain
an advantage
so they can
steal your
money or
personal
information.
Just don’t
respond,”
said Special
Agent
Richard
Kolko,
Chief,
National
Press
Office,
Washington,
D.C.
To
receive the
latest
information
about cyber
scams,
please go to
the
FBI website
and sign up
for e-mail
alerts by
clicking on
one of the
red
envelopes.
If you have
received a
scam e-mail,
please
notify the
IC3 by
filing a
complaint at
www.ic3.gov.
For more
information
on e-scams,
please visit
the FBI's
New E-Scams
and Warnings
webpage
or
www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.
Related
e-mail
scams:
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