Attorney General John M. Formella issues a Consumer Alert warning New Hampshire recipients about a recent report of scammers sending a fraudulent letter purporting to be from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

The fraudulent letter (a redacted copy of which is here) appears to be issued on Attorney General’s Office official letterhead and falsely purports to be signed by a former New Hampshire Deputy Attorney General. The recipient of the letter lives out-of-state. The letter falsely claims that the recipient’s identity has been used in connection with a purchase through an online retailer. The letter falsely claims that the Attorney General’s Office is investigating the “unsanctioned transaction” and seeks the recipient’s cooperation. The letter warns that any of the recipient’s accounts (financial and non-financial) linked with the recipient’s social security number will be shut down. The letter also provides contact information that is not legitimately associated with the Attorney General’s Office or with any other law enforcement agency.

Attorney General Formella  offers the following tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:

• Know that the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office will never send correspondence to anyone threatening to shut down or seize their personal accounts;

• Be wary of any unexpected correspondence purporting to be from any law enforcement agency, including the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, threatening to shut down or seize financial accounts, or seeking personal identifying information, including information related to your financial accounts and social security number;

• Always verify contact information provided in correspondence purporting to be sent from a law enforcement agency, including the Attorney General’s Office, through a known and trusted source, such as an official government website. Never assume that the contact information (e-mail, telephone, etc.) provided in correspondence sent to you is legitimate, especially if the correspondence requests personal identifying information or payment. The Attorney General’s Office official contact information can be found at www.doj.nh.gov.

If you or someone you know receives this scam letter or has fallen victim to this or another scam, report it to your local police department and the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office. Complaints can be filed at: https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm or by calling the Consumer Hotline at (603) 271-3641.