Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection

Press Releases

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03/30/2017

SCAM ALERT: CONSUMER PROTECTION WARNS AGAINST CONSUMER COMPLAINT EMAIL SCAM

Thursday, March 30th, 2017 — The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is warning consumers about a scam targeting businesses and professionals.  The email says that you must respond to a complaint filed against you. 
 
DCP urges consumers and professionals not to reply to the email below or click on the link in the email. The email contains signs of a typical scam, and no one should engage with emails that have these signs:
  • It appears to be written quickly without thought as it contains grammatical errors.
  • It claims to be from a government agency, but is not sent from a “.gov” email address.
  • It doesn’t address you by name, and is not from a specific person.
  • It warns of severe consequences if you don’t respond quickly in an attempt to get you to act immediately, without thinking.  
“Scammers often impersonate government agencies to reach consumers,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris, “It’s important to us at DCP to warn people about these email scams. We want consumers to understand what legitimate government resources look like, so they can protect themselves in the future.”
 
If a complaint is filed against you, an individual from DCP will contact you. You won’t receive a generic email. If you receive an email like this and think you may have a complaint filed against you, do not respond to the email, and contact DCP directly to verify.
Consumers who wish to file complaints with DCP may do so by emailing detailed information to dcp.frauds@ct.gov, by calling (860) 713-6100, or by calling Toll Free at (800) 842-2649.
 
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Media Contacts:
Department of Consumer Protection
Lora Rae Anderson
lorarae.anderson@ct.gov
(860) 713-6019 (o)
(860) 247-8711 (c)
Twitter: DCP on Twitter
Facebook: DCP on Facebook