BBB Says Suspicious Email A Scam

Many southeastern Idaho residents have been calling the regional Better Business Bureau office about a suspicious email, which the BBB says is a scam.

Dale Dixon, president of the Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast Idaho and Eastern Oregon, says thousands or millions of copies of this email, which appears to have been sent by the BBB, have been sent all over the world.

?The email contained a link that either infects your computer with a virus or leads you to website to collect personal information — ultimately leading to identity theft. Maybe both,? he said Wednesday.

Dixon said the BBB initially tracked down the source of the email to 30 websites, which tells him a ?vast network of computers? was being used to carry out the scam.

The virus, he said, takes over your computer, connects to a network and uses it to send similar messages.

If you clicked on the link, Dixon says, you should take your computer to a technician for repair.

?If you did provide someone personal information as a result of the scam email, it’s important to freeze your credit reports and monitor bank and credit card accounts,? he said.

He said the BBB would never send an email asking the recipient to click on a link without a clear explanation.

?Any time an email arrives unexpectedly, never click on links,? Dixon said. ?Be wary of all links — in email and on websites. Next, if you hover your mouse over a link, the real web address usually pops up, and in the case of this email, it was clearly in no way connected to BBB. Finally, if the email requires immediate action to protect yourself, pay something or collect something, it’s a scam.?