|
Th e federal income tax deadline is months away, but cyber-scam artists claiming to represent Internal Revenue Service officials are already targeting taxpayers.
Working with cyber-security agencies, the IRS has already shut down nearly 2000 Web sites this year that bogusly used the IRS name or logo in an effort to persuade taxpayers to hand over personal financial information. The personal financial information they collect is used to open credit cards, apply for new loans or make purchases under that victim’s name.
One fraudulent email ploy exploits the “Making Work Pay Refund”, a refundable tax credit made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The credit is passed on to workers in the form of a decreased tax withholding from their paychecks. Some individuals are being contacted via e-mail by scam artists posing as IRS agents and being asked to register with the agency so that the refund can be deposited into their bank account. Other examples include scam artists telling taxpayers that they are due lottery winnings, recovered inheritance money,
or tax refunds. In each of these instances, the consumer is asked to turn over personal financial data either by return e-mail or by entering it into a fraudulent Web site.
In addition, consumers who click on some of the links in the phony e-mails may inadvertently download spyware or other forms of malicious software that compile information from their computer without their consent.
Red flags watch for: 
· E-mails that request detailed or an unusual amount of personal information
· Emails intended to bait the recipient to respond by promising some benefit or monetary gain
· E-mails that use extremely long addresses in any link contained in the message
Anyone who has received a questionable e-mail claiming to come from the IRS should forward it to phishing@irs.gov, visit their local IRS office, call the agency at 800.829.1040, or read more from the IRS Web site.
Bottom-line: Be wary of unsolicited calls or e-mails that appear to come from the IRS. The agency does not initiate communication with taxpayers or collect personal financial information by e-mail or by phone.
|