Don’t be a victim. Don’t be stupid.

FRAUDULENT SPAM E-MAIL CLAIMING TO BE FROM FBI DIRECTOR MUELLER

We have become aware of a bogus spam e-mail claiming to be from FBI Director Robert Mueller III. This scam appears to be a typical Nigerian scam; however, the attempt to defraud victims comes in two separate e-mails. The same e-mail address is used to deliver both phases of the spam.

The first e-mail claims to be from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. It advises recipients that they are the beneficiary of a large sum of money and that they can claim the money by providing an FBI Identification Record and a Certificate of Ownership. To make the message look more legitimate, information is pasted in the e-mail from the FBI.gov web site defining what an Identification Record is and how to obtain it from the Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

The second e-mail claims to be from Donna M. Uzzell, FBI Compact Council Chairman. The message informs the recipient the Certificate of Ownership is supplied, for a fee, by the country where the funds originated. It requires the recipient to respond to the e-mail for instructions on sending the money to FBI Nigeria, which then will issue the certificate.

At this point the message becomes more threatening, stating the FBI has investigative programs which can track down those who fail to provide the requested documentation. It further states failure to comply will result in charges being brought against the individual by the FBI.

THIS EMAIL IS A HOAX. DO NOT RESPOND.

Learn to spot a hoax, the following are reference sites you should be familiar with:

Vmyths: Virus Myths and Hoaxes
Snopes: The definitive Urban Legends website (link goes to page on Nigerian (419) scam page)
National Consumer’s League Fraud Information Center