AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine labor officials are warning employers about an identity theft scam that has spread to Maine.

The Department of Labor says the scam attempts to trick employers into responding to an email made to look like it comes from a state’s “Division of Unemployment Assistance.”

Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette says the email asks for information about a “former employee” trying to file for unemployment benefits and directs the employer to click on a link to a website address. Once at the website, employers are asked to give personal information of former workers.

Paquette says the emails are scams and were first reported in several other states last week and have now been reported in Maine.