FTC 'Consumer Complaint' Emails Are Actually Scams

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Image: Flickr, Intel Free Press

BusinessNewsDaily 2014-04-14 15:15:41 UTC

No business owner likes to see customer complaints, but a new email scam could be even more damaging than an unsatisfied client, according to a new warning from the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC is warning businesses about emails sent with the subject line "Pending consumer complaint." The email looks like it's from the FTC and informs recipients that a complaint against them has been filed with the government. However, it likely contains malware, the agency said.

The emails ask recipients to click on a link or attachment for more information, or to contact the FTC.

"These emails pull out all the stops to look official: They have an FTC seal, references to the "Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA)" and a "formal investigation," and what look like real FTC links," Amy Hebert, a consumer education specialist for the FTC, wrote on the agency's blog. "The truth is that they're fakes."

The FTC advised those who receive such emails to not open them or click on any of the links, as they may contain malware.

"Malware can cause your device to crash, and can be used to monitor and control your online activity, steal your personal information, send spam and commit fraud," Hebert wrote.

Businesses that receive such emails should forward them to the FTC's email address for deceptive spam - spam@uce.gov — and then delete the message immediately.

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This article originally published at BusinessNewsDaily here

Topics: Apps and Software, email, FTC, malware, Small Business, spam, Tech, Work & Play

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