Dept. of Energy E-mail Is Scam

A widely circulated e-mail scam that falsely claims to be from the Department of Energy attempts to entice victims by claiming to offer a refund on energy bills, cautioned U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak.

"The public should be on the alert for any e-mails that claim to be from the Department of Energy and promise to issue energy refunds," Mr. Stupak said. "The Department of Energy does not collect revenue from the public through e-mail, and they do not issue refunds by e-mail."

The bogus e-mails are designed to look legitimate, Mr. Stupak said, and even appear to originate from the e-mail address "refund@energy.gov." The e-mail instructs the victim to click a link, which could infect a computer. Clicking on the link could also direct victims of the e-mail to an online form, where they are prompted to provide personal information that could be used for identity theft.

"Constituents who receive these fraudulent e-mails should delete them immediately," Mr. Stupak said.