Feb. 19, 2009 — It didn't take long for at least one group to start taking advantage of the economic stimulus bill – the crooks.
The Small Business Administration sent out a "scam alert" Thursday warning small businesses 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.
President Barack Obama only signed the federal economic stimulus bill on Tuesday. The fake letters purporting to qualify business owners for the tax rebates were postmarked on Wednesday and have been reported by businesses across the U.S., according to Angelique F. Adjutant, a public information officer at the SBA.
"The letters are all dated yesterday, and they refer specifically to the stimulus bill," Adjutant said.
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.
They are similar to the "phishing" e-mail scams that most people receive every day, claiming to be from a bank or company urging the recipient to provide information to keep their account open, whether or not the recipient actually has an account with that institution.
"Various small business owners across the country who received the letter contacted their respective area SBA offices to confirm the information; that is how we came to learn of the scam," Adjutant said.
The public information officer said she has no record of any business in the U.S. Virgin Islands receiving such a letter yet.
"We want to ensure that if anyone in the V.I. does receive any similar letter, they realize it is a scam and in no way related to the SBA," she said.
The SBA is working with the SBA Office of Inspector General to investigate the matter. Adjutant warned business owners to be wary of any mail asking for bank information or other confidential data, and to contact the SBA if they do receive such a mailing.
Recipients can report the to the OIG Fraud Line at 1-800-767-0385, or send e-mail to OIGHotline@sba.gov.
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