Internal Revenue Service e-mail scams can steal your identity

Each tax season, unscrupulous individuals come out of the cyber-woodwork to prey on unsuspecting working class individuals. Unfortunately, 2011 tax time is no different. Malicious Internal Revenue Service scam e-mails can ruin your computer and steal your private information. Article source – Beware the new IRS e-mail phishing scam, taxpayers by MoneyBlogNewz.

Private tax e-mails never from the Internal Revenue Service

The Times-Gazette spoke with Internal Revenue Service media relations representative Dan Boone who said that e-mails about tax returns are never sent out by the IRS.

"If you get an e-mail that looks like comes from the IRS and it looks like it has something to do with your personal taxes or business taxes, it’s a scam," said Boone.

While there is not one specific IRS con e-mail in circulation, there is a common theme. Social security numbers, bank account numbers and other personal information is what identification thieves are looking for in these e-mails to try and get credit in your name or your money. Typically, the fraud e-mail dangles a refund as a result of consumer however says the consumer must provide banking information on a special refund form in order to facilitate a "transfer" of funds.

"There is no refund form. Your tax return is your refund form," said Boone.

How to proceed with an IRS con

Boone states you need to not click on any links in e-mails or download any attachments if you get an e-mail from the IRS.gov. This can open up your computer to malware and viruses that can potentially steal sensitive data from your computer’s hard drive or record your keystrokes. Whether or not a connection in an information-seeking IRS scam e-mail redirects a taxpayer to a site that looks like IRS.gov, the fact is the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t send working class individuals e-mails that require private data.

The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to report fraud of any kind. Forward suspicious e-mails to phishing(at)irs.gov. There are not going to be IRS return receipts. Keep this in mind. If you would like more information, you are able to get it fairly very easily. IRS form IR-2006-49 is where to look.

Information from

IRS

irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=155682,00.html

Shelbyville Times-Gazette

t-g.com/story/1704349.html

Beware e-mails that appear to be from the IRS

youtube.com/watch?v=Kw7f7pO3CAM