A California attorney recently reported receiving a suspicious email, appearing to be from the DFPI Enforcement team. The display name showed “[email protected],” which is a legitimate DFPI email address. However, the real sender in angled brackets was “[email protected].” This is not a DFPI email address, and the Department did not send this email.
This incident appears to be a case of display name spoofing, a tactic used by phishers to make messages look like they’re coming from a trusted source.
The email claimed the attorney recipient needed to sign documents sent separately. The attorney wisely contacted DFPI through a verified email to confirm. The Department confirmed the email sender, listed as “Alia Shahbaz,” is not a DFPI employee.
Consumers and licensees should be extremely cautious when responding to unsolicited emails – especially if the sender requests payments or sensitive personal information.
If you need to contact us to verify the legitimacy of a communication, use the options on our Contact Us page.
If you think you’ve been scammed, report it to us. Submit a complaint at dfpi.ca.gov or call (866) 275-2677.