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Businesses warned of fraudulent emails of 'complaint'

Businesses may be duped into downloading virus software from false emails of complaint, American authorities are warning.

The FBI and Better Business Bureau (BBB) say that emails purporting to be from the US Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration or BBB itself are being sent.

Readers, who are addressed by name, are instructed to click a hyperlink which may then download virus software to record user names, passwords and similar sensitive information.

Connecticut BBB president Paulette Hotton stressed that BBB's computer and mail systems were not involved in the scam, and the company did not use emails with hyperlinks to inform companies of complaints.

Users are advised never to click on attachments or hyperlinks from emails from strangers, and to report the scam emails at www.ic3.gov.

Email addresses used for the scam have so far included fraud@bbb.org, idtheft@bbb.org and complaints@bbb.org.

Earlier this month, the FBI warned of fraudulent emails purportedly from the IC3 and UK government that claimed users were being compensated for internet fraud.

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