In January, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to small businesses not to open an email claiming to be from the agency and containing the subject line, “Notification of Consumer Complaint.”
According to the FTC, the email message falsely states that a consumer complaint has been filed with the agency against the business. The message is not being sent by the FTC.
The agency also warns those recipients of the email message not to click on the links or attachments with the email. Opening links or attachments may result in the installation of a virus or other spyware on the computer.
It is not uncommon for scam artists to attempt to trick individuals into downloading malware, including computer viruses or spyware, through email links and attachments.
The malware may impact the efficiency of your computer or even monitor and control your activity online. The government also notes that scam artists could employ malware to commit identity theft or to engage in other criminal activity.
A malware or virus attack is especially a danger for those who do not maintain updated security software on their computers.
The federal government maintains a website focused on helping consumers and small businesses avoid, detect, remove and report malware.
The site can be found online at www.OnGuardOnline.gov/malware.
The FTC’s email message warning is available at www.ftc.gov.
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