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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