Phishing Emails disguised as letters from Government Agencies -

Be on the lookout for emails that look like they are from the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, or any other government agency. These are scams.

Some will ask you to go to a website that has been made to look like a real government website. There they will ask for your personal information, including financial information.

Other letters, upon opening, will implant a virus on your computer. These viruses can do tasks from send information stored on your computer to the scammers to recording your keystrokes so that the scammers will learn all of your passwords and codes.  

Do not open any of these emails. The government will never attempt to contact you by email. The government does not even know your email address. They always conduct business through regular postal mail and it will always be addressed to you by name.

If you receive an email that you believe may be fraudulent, report it to the FBI/FTC’s task force for internet crimes. www.ic3.gov/

For more information on how to protect yourself from online scams read our Solution 18 on Scams