Contact 13
Local woman warns others of FBI email scam
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Scams looking to steal your information or money are constantly evolving. But some of the best cons never change. And one Las Vegas woman recently was targeted by an old trick.
"Yeah, I was kind of upset," says Alvina Buquing.
She says she couldn't believe it when she got a suspicious email.
"I looked at the address and it kind of scared me a little bit because it did say FBI director, Washington, D.C.," says Alvina.
The email from a Mr. Robert Mueller says someone in Africa is trying to transfer $10 million to Alvina's account. The letter claims the funds are some how linked to possible terrorist, drug or money laundering activities.
"But what really got me angry was the last portion of the letter," says Alvina.
It reads: If you fail to provide the documents, we will prosecute and take appropriate action against you. Alvina says, that made her angry.
"Once someone threatens me, whether it's in person or in a letter, I thought hey, this doesn't seem right," says Alvina.
Alvina says she reached out to the FBI, but not to clear her name. Instead, she filed a complaint. She feels this has to be a scam and she wants others to know.
"The unwary citizen could really fall into a trap," says Alvina.
So Alvina reached out to Contact 13. We called the FBI and learned this is an old scam making the rounds again. They pointed to a press release from 2008 that reads:
"Have you received a suspicious email from FBI Director Robert Mueller or another FBI official? If so, it is a fake." The FBI says they'll never email the public asking for your personal information.
"My advise is basically you read something like this... you delete it and report it. And that's what I did," says Alvina.
So here's the Contact 13 bottom line: Many scammers are simply using the FBI name to intimidate and convince you their email is legit. In this case, Robert Mueller is the current FBI Director. But still, beware of any email asking for personal information or money. You can protect yourself by signing up for FBI email alerts on the latest scams.
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