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Pa. Official Warns of E-Mail Scams That Rely on Home Depot Hacking Fears

By Mark Abrams

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Pennsylvania's attorney general is issuing a warning about scammers trying to take advantage of people in the wake of the Home Depot security breach.

You may have already heard the warnings urging you to monitor your credit and bank statements in the wake of confirmation by Home Depot that its data system had been hacked.

Now, Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane says that consumers have to be alert for "phishing" schemes that come in e-mails.

Kane's spokesman, JJ Abbott, says it's critical that you don't surrender any information by answering an unsolicited e-mail from someone claiming to be from Home Depot or a credit-monitoring service.

"They'll send you a link or give you a phone number to call saying you need to verify your information," he warns. "They'll then ask for your credit card information, maybe your debit card PIN, or even your Social Security number."

Abbott says Home Depot has more than 50 stores in Pennsylvania, and many of them are in the Greater Philadelphia region, so residents of this area may be especially vulnerable to these scammers.

 

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