The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is warning California contractors to be wary of suspicious emails that may appear to be coming from the CSLB and asking for electronic signatures on documents. These fraudulent emails contain notable spelling and grammar mistakes, typos, incorrect CSLB names, and phone numbers. This type of scam is known as a phishing scam.
CSLB will not use third-party software to collect an electronic signature from a contractor or applicant. Furthermore, an email from CSLB will come from the @cslb.ca.gov domain, so be sure to check that as well.
To protect yourself from a phishing scam, here are a few useful tips:
- Look for typos in the email address. This may be a spoofing attempt to give the appearance of a legitimate email address.
- Do not open any suspicious attachments or click on suspicious links that may lead you to a third-party website other than the CSLB website.
- Do not provide any personal information or sign documents via suspicious links.
The CSLB is urging contractors who have received an email from the CSLB requesting them to sign a document electronically to verify its authenticity with the CSLB directly.
About Business Consumer Alliance
Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) is a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening integrity in the marketplace. We help consumers by resolving disputes and providing transparent business reputation reports. At the same time, we support contractors, movers, and small business owners with contract assistance, arbitration services, reputation management resources, along with business and HR advice. We’re here to help good businesses stand out and succeed while protecting the public.