HONOLULU, HAWAII (BNO NEWS) – The Honolulu office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a warning on Monday about fake e-mails that claim to be originated by the FBI.

The fake e-mails seek personal information or payments related to fraudulent cash prizes or inheritance proceeds. “The FBI does not send out e-mails soliciting personal information from citizens,” said Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC) Charlene Thornton.

The victims receive an e-mail that appears to be legitimate due to the use of pictures of the FBI director, seal, letterhead and banners. Other mails arrive in order to levy fines, a practice that doesn´t exist within the FBI.

The recipients of the fraudulent mails are asked to give money in order to obtain larger sums of money that were supposedly to be released afterwards.

The FBI encourages the citizens to report these mails to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.