This warning came today from my e-mail provider.
E-Mail Scam - New IRS E-Mail Scams Use Rebate as Lure
It's tax season again and the Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers to beware of current e-mail scams using the IRS name. In particular, watch for messages about the upcoming rebate checks tied to the economic stimulus package — spammers are using these rebates as bait. The goal of the scams is to trick you into revealing personal and financial information such as Social Security or bank account numbers, which the scammers can use to commit identity theft.
The IRS does NOT send unsolicited e-mail about tax account matters to taxpayers, and you will NOT need to respond to any e-mail in order to receive this year's rebate check. The vast majority of Americans who qualify for the rebate will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their check. The IRS will use information on the tax return to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.
Another bogus e-mail falsely claims to come from the IRS and tells the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund of a specific amount. The message then instructs the recipient to click on a link in the e-mail to access a refund claim form that asks for bank account information.
Should you receive an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS — DO NOTHING EXCEPT DELETE IT. Do not click on links within the body of the e-mail, and do not provide any information. If the IRS needs to contact you about a tax refund or audit, they will do so by traditional mail. If you need to access the IRS website to get information, initiate contact by typing the IRS.gov address into your browser's address bar.
E-Mail Scam - New IRS E-Mail Scams Use Rebate as Lure
It's tax season again and the Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers to beware of current e-mail scams using the IRS name. In particular, watch for messages about the upcoming rebate checks tied to the economic stimulus package — spammers are using these rebates as bait. The goal of the scams is to trick you into revealing personal and financial information such as Social Security or bank account numbers, which the scammers can use to commit identity theft.
The IRS does NOT send unsolicited e-mail about tax account matters to taxpayers, and you will NOT need to respond to any e-mail in order to receive this year's rebate check. The vast majority of Americans who qualify for the rebate will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their check. The IRS will use information on the tax return to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.
Another bogus e-mail falsely claims to come from the IRS and tells the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund of a specific amount. The message then instructs the recipient to click on a link in the e-mail to access a refund claim form that asks for bank account information.
Should you receive an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS — DO NOTHING EXCEPT DELETE IT. Do not click on links within the body of the e-mail, and do not provide any information. If the IRS needs to contact you about a tax refund or audit, they will do so by traditional mail. If you need to access the IRS website to get information, initiate contact by typing the IRS.gov address into your browser's address bar.
