CURRAN WARNS OF FRAUDULENT E-MAIL

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. is warning Marylanders about a fraudulent e-mail that attempts to trick consumers into giving their credit card information and Social Security numbers.

The e-mail, with the subject line "Best Buy Order Fraud Alert," purports to come from the BestBuy.com website's fraud department. It claims that a recent order has been received using the consumer's credit card information, and that Best Buy's Fraud Department has suspicions regarding the order. The consumer is asked to visit a special Fraud Department website to confirm or decline the transaction by providing the correct information. The e-mail did not come from BestBuy.com.

"If you receive this deceptive "Best Buy Order Fraud Alert," do not respond and do not provide financial information to prove this is not your order," said Curran. "If you did already respond, contact your bank or your credit card company immediately."

The real BestBuy.com website has posted a warning about the scam on its website.

Curran said that consumers should always be wary of e-mails that ask them to provide personal information such as their credit card, bank account or Social Security numbers. "Reputable companies do not ask you to provide such information through e-mail, which is not secure. If you have questions, contact the company by telephone or through its official website, not through the e-mail address or website address provided in the suspicious e-mail," he said.

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