IRS Warns of Tax Refund PHISHING Scam
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a consumer alert about an Internet scam where taxpayers receive an email informing them that they are owed a tax refund. The email, which claims to be from the IRS, directs the consumer to a link that requests personal information, such as Social Security number and credit card information.
Details:
The bogus email, which appears to come from "tax refunds@irs.gov," tells the recipient that they are eligible to receive a tax refund and then directs them to access a form for the tax refund through a link contained in the email. The link then asks for the personal and financial information.
Please note:
The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information via unsolicited email. Additionally, taxpayers do not have to complete a special form to obtain a refund. The IRS is telling consumers who receive a suspicious email not to open any file attachments and to contact the agency at (800) 829-1040 to verify whether the IRS is trying to contact them about a tax refund.
See "IRS Warns of Email Scam about Tax Refunds" for more details on this scam.
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