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SBA Warns of Fraudulent Attempts to Obtain Bank
Account Information from Small Businesses
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration
issued a scam alert today to small businesses, warning them not to respond to
letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account
information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates.
The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to
be an SBA letterhead to small businesses across the country, advising recipients
that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and
that SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate. The letter asks the
small business to provide the name of its bank and account number.
These letters have not been sent by or authorized by the
SBA, and all small businesses are strongly advised not to respond to them.
The scheme is similar in many ways to e-mail scams often
referred to as “phishing” that seek personal data and financial account
information that enables another party to access and individual’s bank accounts
or to engage in identity theft.
The SBA is working with the SBA Office of Inspector General
to investigate this matter. The Office of Inspector General asks that anyone who
receives such a letter report it to the OIG Fraud Line at 1 (800) 767-0385, or
e-mail at
OIGHotline@sba.gov.
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