FBI warns of online scams

The FBI is warning Internet users of online scams involving the use of FBI officials' names and titles.

The agency has received reports of unsolicited emails claiming recipients have received a large sum of money, invoking the name of FBI director James B. Comey and asking recipients to send money for various reasons, the agency reported in a news release Thursday.

Some of the bogus emails claim to come from the "Anti Terrorism Monetary Crimes Division" of the FBI, the news release said.

None of the messages is from an agency affiliated with the federal government, which uses the legal process -- not unsolicited email -- to contact individuals, the news release said.

Anyone receiving an unsolicited email claiming to be from the FBI should avoid clicking on links in the message, which may contain viruses or malware, and should visit www.ic3.gov to file a complaint, the release said.