FBI says Pistole e-mail is spam threat

WASHINGTON , Oct. 17 (UPI) -- The FBI released a warning Thursday in Washington that a spam e-mail is circulating that claims to be from FBI Deputy Director John Pistole.

FBI officials say an investigation is currently under way into the origin of the fraudulent e-mail message from Pistole. The e-mail, which is attempting to use the reputation of Pistole as a way to appear legitimate, claims the recipient has won a large sum of money.

As in the case with many spam e-mails, the recipient of the message will be granted the monies after personal banking information is provided so that a fake transaction fee can be processed.

The FBI says it is becoming common for scam e-mails to give the appearance of legitimacy by using fraudulent FBI credentials. But officials warn to "be cautious of any unsolicited e-mail referencing the FBI, Director Mueller, Deputy Director Pistole or any other FBI official claiming that the FBI is endorsing any type of Internet activity," the release said.