A DFPI licensee recently reported receiving an email appearing to be from a DFPI employee. The email message referenced a supposed complaint received by DFPI from a consumer and demanded a response from the DFPI licensee within seven days. The sender email address contained a @dfpi.ca domain. This is not a valid DFPI email address, nor an email domain associated with DFPI. DFPI did not send this email.
The email message contained the signature “Consumer Services Office” and included two attachments. The first attachment mimicked a document previously submitted in a consumer complaint. The second attachment consisted of a sham demand letter created on DFPI letterhead.
This incident appears to be a case of email spoofing, a tactic used by phishers to make messages look like they’re coming from a trusted source.
Consumers and licensees should use caution when responding to unexpected communications, especially those requesting documents or demanding urgent action. If you need to verify the legitimacy of a DFPI communication, please contact the Department using the information on our Contact Us page.
If you believe you have received a fraudulent message or have been targeted by a scam, please submit a complaint at dfpi.ca.gov or call (866) 275‑2677.