ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERTS CONSUMERS TO E-MAIL SCAM

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. is warning Marylanders to beware of a fraudulent e-mail that threatens Citibank customers that their checking accounts will be shut down unless they provide their Social Security numbers.

The e-mail appears to come from Citibank and concerns "Your Checking Account at Citibank." It links to a website that resembles Citibank's and asks customers to provide their Social Security numbers. Citibank has warned that the e-mail is a scam and that it is working with law enforcement, but that none of its systems have been compromised. Citibank has warned any customers who receive the e-mail to delete it.

The Attorney General's Office had heard from some Marylanders who received the e-mail but did not fall for the ruse.

"Increasingly, we must all be on guard against scam artists who are using clever e-mails to trick us into revealing sensitive information online," Curran said. "Whenever you receive an e-mail that asks for sensitive information, be very skeptical. Don't respond to the e-mail, but contact the company by another means that you know to be legitimate, such as a customer service number, to verify whether the e-mail is actually from that company."

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