The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is warning consumers about a scam targeting businesses and professionals. The e-mail says that you must respond to a complaint filed against you.

DCP urges consumers and professionals not to reply to the e-mail or click on the link in the e-mail. The e-mail contains signs of a typical scam, and no one should engage with e-mails that have these signs:

*It appears to be written quickly without thought as it contains grammatical errors.

*It claims to be from a government agency, but is not sent from a ".gov" e-mail address.

*It does not address you by name, and is not from a specific person.

*It warns of severe consequences if you do not respond quickly in an attempt to get you to act immediately, without thinking.

"Scammers often impersonate government agencies to reach consumers," said Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris, "It's important to us at DCP to warn people about these e-mail scams. We want consumers to understand what legitimate government resources look like, so they can protect themselves in the future."

If a complaint is filed against you, an individual from DCP will contact you. You would not receive a generic e-mail. If you receive an e-mail like this and think you may have a complaint filed against you, do not respond to the e-mail, and contact DCP directly to verify.

Consumers who wish to file complaints with DCP may do so by e-mailing detailed information to dcp.frauds@ct.gov, by calling (860) 713-6100, or by calling Toll Free at (800) 842-2649.