Fraudulent Refund E-mail

An FBI press release is asking the public to be aware of yet another e-mail scam. These e-mails contain false refund notifications for those whom have been victimized by Internet fraud. These messages claim to be from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the government of the United Kingdom.

The FBI’s Web site provides information updates on the latest cyber scams. Please contact the IC3 if you receive an e-mail scam. For more information on e-scams, visit the FBI’s New E-Scams and Warnings Web page.

According to the FBI, the elements below are evidence of fraud:

• Multiple spelling errors
• Poor grammar
• Government agency names
• Signatures of officials and titles to appear authentic
• Warning for failure to comply

Please consider the following:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting personal information via e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
• Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits information.