Thursday, January 29, 2015
BEWARE OF SCAMMERS POSING AS IRS
Phishing
Remains on the IRS “Dirty Dozen” List of Tax Scams for the 2015 Filing Season
WASHINGTON
— The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to watch out for fake
emails or websites looking to steal personal information. These “phishing”
schemes continue to be on the annual IRS list of “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for
the 2015 filing season.
"The
IRS won’t send you an email about a bill or refund out of the blue. Don’t click
on one claiming to be from the IRS that takes you by surprise,” said IRS
Commissioner John Koskinen. “I urge taxpayers to be wary of clicking on strange
emails and websites. They may be scams to steal your personal information.”
Compiled
annually, the “Dirty Dozen” lists a variety of common scams that taxpayers may
encounter anytime but many of these schemes peak during filing season as people
prepare their returns or find people to help with their taxes.
Illegal
scams can lead to significant penalties and interest and possible criminal
prosecution. IRS Criminal Investigation works closely with the Department of
Justice (DOJ) to shutdown scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.
Stop and Think before Clicking
Phishing
is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake
website that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt
them to provide valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this
information, a criminal can commit identity theft or financial theft.
If
you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an
organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax
Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
It
is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact with
taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes
any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media
channels. The IRS has information online that can help you protect yourself from
email scams.
posted by Kelly at
3:28 PM - permalink
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