FBI Cautions Hawaii Residents of Forged E-mails

FBI, i.e., Federal Bureau of Investigation, is cautioning residents of Hawaii (USA) that fraudulent, phishing e-mails posing to be from the Bureau are hitting inboxes after being sent off from Nigeria.

It's revealed that scammers behind these e-mails have created them artistically.

According to Charlene Thornton Special Agent-in-Charge, the scam messages' text could talk of cash prize winnings alternatively wealth inheritances, which in reality didn't exist, as per the statements published by Kitv.com on February 8, 2010.

In addition, as per the details, the fake e-mails look for recipients' payments or personal information. They also include the FBI letterhead, seal, and/or banners along with the agency Director's photographs to give a genuine look.

Thornton stated that other fraudulent e-mails are also circulating, claiming that the FBI is imposing fines through e-mails -an exercise, which is actually non-existent. The Agent added that the FBI didn't dispatch e-mails asking for personal information from the citizens.

The agent further added that these e-mails frequently end up as "advance fee scams", wherein the defrauders ask the recipients to send processing fees for receiving huge amounts of money later on.

In fact, Thornton's warning is strongly backed with the fact that Tom Simon, Special Agent of FBI furnished. Simon stated that the agency had recieved a large number of complaints in connection with the e-mails over the past few months. According to him, that could imply many more e-mail users, possibly in hundreds or thousands, too received the fraudulent e-mails, according to a statement published by Starbulletin.com published February 8, 2010.

In the meantime, the FBI suggested that if anyone received an e-mail claiming to be sent from the FBI, then he/she must use the helpline numbers of the Federal Bureau's field office and verify if the e-mail was genuine. Furthermore, the recipients must report the online fraud against them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center of FBI on its official website.

Finally, on a general note, users must not ever open unsolicited e-mails, despite them claiming as messages from the FBI. In addition, they shall deploy security software, which is capable of blocking spurious e-mails from entering their mailboxes at the e-mail gateway itself.

Related article: FBI’s ICCC Annual Report Discusses Fraudulent and Non-Fraudulent Complaints

» SPAMfighter News - 2/15/2010