Attorney General Kelly Ayotte announced today that New Hampshire consumers are continuing to receive bogus emails from someone posing as a bank or financial institution. The emails received by consumers appear legitimate as they contain the bank’s logo at the top of the email.

The emails ask consumers for their account information, saying the information is needed for a variety of reasons. Some emails warn the recipients that the bank has been experiencing a large number of identity theft attempts and that in order to safeguard the consumers’ accounts, consumers must log on to a provided website and confirm their bank account information. Some emails advise consumers that the account information is needed because the bank is upgrading its software. Once the consumers have provided their bank account information, it will then be used illegally and the consumers may become victims of identity theft.

If you receive one of these emails, call the bank from which it purportedly came immediately. Speak with the fraud department of the bank and report the email which you received. Some banks will ask you to forward the email to them.

You should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and forward the email or contact the FTC or 1-877-IDTHEFT. After you have forwarded the email to the appropriate agencies, delete it from your inbox.

Attorney General Ayotte warns consumers to “never provide bank account or any other financial information in response to an email, even if the email appears legitimate. No financial institution collects account information by email.”