AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is issuing a consumer alert to warn Texans about a scam impersonating the Attorney General's Office.
On Friday, Paxton announced that there is a scam targeting Texans that includes the Attorney General's seal, name and signature to convince consumers to provide personal information.
The scam, sent in the form of a letter, is claiming that consumers are violating the Federal Trade Commission using their Social Security Number. The letter will later detail that consumers' Social Security Number has been suspended and face federal prosecution and significant jail time if they do not respond.
A toll-free number is provided in the letter for consumers to call and give their personal data away.
Paxton is asking Texans to report the suspected fraud if they receive these letters. Texans can report the fraud to the Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-800-621-0508 or by filing a complaint online.
"To protect their privacy and combat scams, consumers who are asked for their personal information—such as their Social Security number—should ask themselves the following questions before deciding to share the information: Why does the entity need the information and what happens if I don’t share it? How will they protect my information and who they will share it with? Do they have a privacy policy? If a company doesn’t have a privacy policy or provides you one that you don’t understand, you should not share your information with it.," the release stated.