Sunday, June 7, 2009

Circulation of Fraudulent E-mail Claiming To Be From U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

A spam e-mail claiming to be from the current
CBP Assistant Commissioner, Thomas S. Winkowski, is currently being circulated.
This attempt to defraud is the typical e-mail scam using the name and reputation
of a federal government official to create an air of authenticity.



The spam e-mail indicates the CBP has stopped a diplomat who is carrying a consignment
to be delivered to the recipient's residence. This consignment allegedly contains
millions of dollars, which is revealed to be an inheritance for the e-mail recipient.



As with many other scams, this e-mail advises the recipient they will be permitted
to access this inheritance once the recipient has given the sender of the e-mail
their personal information.



This e-mail is a hoax. Do not respond.



The U.S. CBP does not send unsolicited e-mails. Consumers should not respond to
unsolicited e-mails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses
or malware.



It is imperative consumers guard their personally identifiable information (PII). Examples of a person's
PII include, but are not limited to: date of birth; social security number; and
bank account numbers. Providing your PII will compromise your identity.



If you have received this e-mail, or a similar e-mail, please file a complaint at
www.IC3.gov.

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