Notice of Electronic Filing Phishing Scam
The District of Idaho has received information that fake Notices of Electronic Filing (NEF) are circulating nationwide. If the recipient responds to the message, they are sent a follow-up email containing a link to access a document that leads the recipient to a malicious website.
Effective December 1, 2013, Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1007(b)(7) was amended to permit an approved debtor education provider to notify the court directly that the debtor has completed a post-petition instructional course concerning personal financial management.* This rule change pertains to debtor education certificates only, not to credit counseling certificates.
The Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho will permit approved personal financial management course providers to file the Certificate of Debtor Education under Rule 1007(b)(7) electronically using the electronic financial management course certificate filing program (eFinCert).
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1007(c), the debtor must file a statement that he/she completed the personal financial management course within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors under §341 of the Code in a chapter 7 case, and in a chapter 11 or 13 case no later than the date when the last payment was made by the debtor as required by the plan or the filing of a motion for discharge under § 1141(d)(5)(B) or § 1328(b) of the Code. Failure by the provider to timely file the certificate in accordance with Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(c), may result in the debtor's case being closed without a discharge. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4004(c)(1)(H).
File Personal Financial Management Court Certificate (eFinCert)
[* Note: Official Form 423 (Certification About a Financial Management Course) has been amended to instruct the debtor to complete and file the form ONLY if the course provider has not already notified the court of the debtor's completion of the course.]
Penalty for filing fraudulent certification: Fine of up to $500,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both. 18 U.S.C. §§ 152 and 3571.