Watch Out for Email Scams
The tax-preparation crunch may be over, but don’t drop your guard against email scammers in the guise of the real taxman.
Some scams involve tricking victims into revealing private financial
information over the Internet, a practice known as “phishing” for
information.
Others try to entice taxpayers to click their way to a fake IRS website
and are asked for bank account numbers. Another widespread email tells
taxpayers the IRS is holding a refund − often $63.80 − for them and asks
for financial account information.
Popular email scams
The IRS warns consumers of current email scams that:
- Claim to come from the IRS and the Taxpayer Advocate Service (a genuine organization within the IRS) that say the recipient is eligible for a tax refund and directs them to a link leading to a fake IRS website.
- Appear to be a solicitation from the IRS and the U.S. government for contributions to victims of the recent Southern California wild fires. A link in the email sends the recipients to a fake IRS website, where they’re directed to a donation form asking for personal and financial information.
- Inform taxpayers that the IRS has calculated their "fiscal activity" and that they are eligible for a tax refund. Recipients receive a page of − or are sent to − a website that resembles the "Where's My Refund?" interactive page on the genuine IRS website. The phony page asks taxpayers to enter their credit card account number.
- Promises recipients $80 by filling out an online customer satisfaction survey about the IRS.
- Inform recipients that they’re being investigated by the IRS for possible fraud. In the "Tax Avoidance Investigation" email, taxpayers are asked to complete an "investigation form," from which there’s a link suspected of activating a Trojan Horse that can control certain functions of their computer.
Email from IRS? Not!
The IRS says that it does not send unsolicited emails or ask for detailed personal and financial information online.
Nor does it ask for PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for taxpayers’ credit cards, bank or other financial accounts. It doesn’t send emails soliciting contributions to charitable causes, either, or advise taxpayers of refunds.
If you suspect a scam
Recipients of questionable emails claiming to come from the IRS should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the emails.
Instead, the IRS advises that they be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov. Learn how.
Neither Nationwide nor any of its representatives give tax or legal advice. Federal tax laws are complex and subject to change. Please consult your tax or legal adviser for answers to your specific questions.
