USDA Warns of Fraudulent Letters

Posted by on Mar 21, 2012 in Featured | 0 comments

Below you will find a news release from USDA regarding fraudulent letters that have been sent to farmers and ranchers in five state. Colorado has not currently been targeted.

To see an example of the letter that has been sent out please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/?cid=STELPRDB1047106

If you have received a letter like this please report it to your county FSA office or contact Colorado Farm Bureau for assistance.

 

USDA officials learned late Friday afternoon, March 16th, 2012, that fraudulent letters are being sent by FAX to individuals, farms, and businesses in at least five states. The letters allegedly come from a USDA procurement officer and seek personal information. These letters are false and recipients should NOT respond with personal and financial information. The fraudulent letters bear USDA’s logo and seal and are signed by an individual identified as “Frank Rutenberg” using a title of “Senior Procurement Officer.” Letters have been received by FAX in Alabama, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York and Wisconsin. Recipients should not respond and should not supply the requested information. USDA is investigating this matter through the Office of the Inspector General. Beware, these faxes are not from USDA, but are in fact a fraudulent scam to collect your personal and banking information. An example of the fraudulent letter can be seen below.