No, a grand jury is not looking for you

If you get an e-mail containing a “subpoena” commanding you to testify before a grand jury, watch out. Not only is it likely fake, it may contain a link to a Web page that will download malicious code on your computer, warns the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

To help it look authentic, the mail contains a court case number, federal code, name and address of a federal court, court room number, issuing officers' names, and a court seal. It also threatens contempt charges if you refuse to appear.

The e-mail directs you to click on a link to download and print certain information for your records, but doing so will infect your computer with the malicious code. IC3 does not know what the code will do if it infects your computer. But we saw one online forum post that says the code will  send send information from your computer to a computer currently located in Singapore. Some of the e-mails have targeted company CEOs.

If you’re concerned that a court related e-mail actually may be legitimate, don’t click on the link. Instead call the court to verify the email’s authenticity.—Anthony Giorgianni