Attorney General Long Warns of Phishing Scams that Continue to Plague State

PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Larry Long said today that phishing scams continue to target South Dakota consumers. Phishing involves email messages sent out by fraudsters claiming to be legitimate organizations such as banking institutions, online payment services or retailers. The email typically requests recipients to verify or update personal information including date of birth, social security numbers, PIN numbers or account information. The goal of the fraudsters is to redirect recipients to a fraudulent site which looks identical, or very similar, to the organization’s legitimate site. The newest twist to this scam is the offer of a $50 reward for participating in an online survey. The email asks the consumer to answer a few questions in return for a $50 online reward to be credited to their account. The consumer is then required to submit the account number in order to receive the fictitious credit.

To avoid getting phished you should never respond to email messages that request personal or financial information and never click on a link that is attached to such email. Legitimate businesses do not send unsolicited email messages asking for personal information. To determine if the email is legitimate it is best that you contact the business or banking institution directly.

If you have been a victim of a phishing scam or would like additional information contact the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or by email at consumerhelp@state.sd.us.