The BBB is warning businesses and their employees not to open or click on links in an email that appears to be from The Federal Trade Commission. The subject line is listed as ‘URGENT: Pending Consumer Complaint’ (see sample email below – the link has been removed)
“Dear business owner,
“A consumer complaint has been filled against your company.
“Your company is being accused of trying to commit fraud against the complaint’s filling party.
“The full text of the complaint file can be viewed on the FTC website, in PDF format, by visiting the following link: (link removed)
“An official response from your part is required, in order to take further action.
“Please review the charges brought forward in the complaint file, and contact us as soon as possible by:
“Phone: Call our toll-free helpline: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261
“Online: Use our secure complaint form ( https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ ) Email: complaints@ftc.gov
“Thank you,
“Federal Trade Commission
“Consumer Protection Department”
This email was distributed to millions of email accounts nationwide Thursday (including many BBB offices). It is a fraudulent email that could infect a company’s computers with spyware or malware. If you received one of these emails, the BBB urges you to delete it without opening it.
These emails have triggered a flood of calls to the Better Business Bureau and to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has issued this alert:
The FTC is warning small businesses that an email with a subject line “URGENT: Pending Consumer Complaint” is not from the FTC. The email says that a complaint has been filed with the agency against their company. The FTC advises not to click on any of the links or attachments with the email. Clicking on the links may install a virus on the computer.
The FTC’s advice: Delete the email. For more information on malware, visit www.OnGuardOnline.gov/malware.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.