“Late Monday evening, October 29, I received an e-mail forwarded by a concerned resident of Delhi, New York, which appears to be a message from me and sent out under the auspices of the Internal Revenue Service, asking people to participate in a ‘recovery and rebuilding’ program for fire victims by clicking on a website link and donating money.

“I was stunned and horrified by what is clearly an e-mail scam.  As the Assemblywoman representing the City of Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, I had been asked by Fabian Nuñez, Speaker of the Assembly, to give a brief radio address last weekend on the wildfires, and to provide information on how people could help and donate via the Assembly website.  The address was transcribed and posted on the Assembly’s Democratic Caucus website.

“There is now an e-mail circulating that has taken my original posted remarks, that has deleted the Assembly website and replaced it with a phony website address that appears to go to an IRS “help” site that does not exist.  My immediate goal is to do everything possible to get the word out that the e-mail did not come from me or anyone associated with me, and that no one should open the “IRS” link.  It is another ugly side to the tragedy of the Southern California wildfires, where some anonymous person is attempting to exploit the generosity of Americans to support one another in a time of crisis for personal gain and greed.”