Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Email Fraud Alert!

RICHMOND, VA Consumers are being urged to watch out for spam email that promises refunds to victims of Internet fraud. The emails, purportedly from the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) and the government of the United Kingdom, promise refunds of thousands of dollars which are to be sent via bank wire transfer from the “bank of England” once the victim signs a “fund release order.” If the recipient fails to sign the order, the perpetrators of this fraud indicate a hold will be placed on the funds and penalties will be applied.

As with most spam, the emails contain evidence of fraud such as multiple spelling errors, poor grammar, agency names, signatures of officials and titles that appear authentic and a warning for failure to comply.

Consumers always need to be alert when they receive an unsolicited e-mail. Remember: do not open unsolicited e-mail or click on any links embedded in the e-mail because they may contain a virus or malware.

Source: National White Collar Crime (NW3C)

NW3C, a congressionally-funded, non-profit organization, has been a continuously funded project for nearly 30 years. NW3C provides a national support network for state and local law enforcement agencies involved in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, cybercrimes and terrorism. For more information, please visit our web site: www.nw3c.org

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