Attorney General Warns About Email Scam

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal this week warned consumers about a bogus email notice purportedly from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informing consumers that they are entitled to a “stimulus payment” from the US government.

In reality, the notice is an online identity theft scam intended to gain access to consumers’ social security numbers and other personal information, the attorney general said in a statement.

Mr Blumenthal said the email messages are designed to look like they come from the IRS, and direct consumers to complete the attached “stimulus payment form,” which requires consumers to disclose certain personal information, including their social security numbers.

The hyperlink attached to the email, however, apparently leads to the scammers’ website. Consumers who provide their information and submit the payment form never receive any payment and have instead exposed themselves to identity theft, according to the attorney general.

“This stimulus scam cynically exploits the expectation of a windfall from the government — promising consumers cash, but then cashing in on consumers’ bank accounts,” Mr Blumenthal said.

“Unsolicited and unexpected emails seeking personal information and promising payments deserve deletion. Stimulus payment promises should come from your accountant, not cyberspace strangers,” he said.

“Consumers should always be wary of any message or caller seeking social security numbers or banking information. No matter how official the message or enticing the offer, consumers should hang up, hit ‘delete,’ and report such correspondence to my office — never divulging personal, private information to unsolicited individuals,” he added.

Consumers who believe they were victimized by this or a similar scam are asked to immediately report the incident to the Attorney General’s Office by calling 860-808-5420.