I.R.S. Email Scams - 6 Tips to Protect Yourself
In Nov. 2005 the I.R.S.
issued an alert for consumers warning of an email that appears as if it has come
from the Internal Revenue Service, but it has absolutely not. The email looks
official and claims that the recipient has a tax refund coming his/her way.
The email then directs the reader to a link that requests very
sensitive, personal, information. It asks for your nine digit Social Security
Card number and a credit/debit card number.
I.R.S. Phishing -
There
are many similar schemes out there that have been attempted in every realm from
"official" emails from banks, ebay, paypal, AOL, and others, to calling customer
service and attempting to change a victim's mailing address.
In the
online world this practice is called "phishing" because some unfortunate souls
see that shiny lure (tax return), get "hooked," and before he/she knows it their
credit card and/or bank account is drained.
The fraudulent email address
that has been most notorious appears as if it is from
"tax-refunds@irs.gov,"
but is quite likely to be masked undetected from several if not 100s of email
addresses.
The email states that the recipient is eligible for the tax
return and then points he/she at a link which takes the reader to another page
in order to convince the person to hand over their personal
information.
I.R.S. Email Scams - 6 Tips to Protect Yourself
I have
put together this list of strategies one can use to protect him/herself and
avoid I.R.S. email scams and schemes. Use these tips, plus your common sense,
and you should be safe from these "phishermen."
1. Be Wary of any/all
Email Attachments -
If you see an email from tax-refunds@irs.gov, do not open
or download any attachments, in case the email attachment contains a malicious
code or virus that will infect your computer and possibly allow more access to
other personal files and information.
2. Don't Give Them What They
Already Have -
Remember that the government and/or the I.R.S. will never ask
for personal information like a Social Security number through email. Think
about it. They already have this information!
3. Be careful Verifying
Sensitive Information -
Don't fall victim to anyone representing themselves
as a government official. Even when asking you to "verify your social security
number," it might not be the case. This could be a ploy to not to verify but to
obtain it for the first time.
If this is over the phone, ask them for a
name and number and if you can call them back. Look up the number to make sure
it is official. If he/she can not provide you with this information, hang
up.
4. Shred any & all Credit Card Applications -
You may be
setting yourself up for heartache if you do not shred or burn credit card
applications. This is personal information only a dumpster dive away.
If
you must keep bank statements, store them in a safe place either in a locked
filing cabinet or safe. Consider saving a tree and going "paperless" by signing
up for your bank's monthly online statements.
5. Preventative Action:
Turn on SPAM Filters -
Some email programs are better than others at
detecting SPAM (unsolicited junk email). I suggest getting a Google Gmail
account. It is quite good at separating personal messages from junk.
By
doing this, you can possibly avoid any type of I.R.S. email scam, by never even
seeing the email in your active inbox. It will automatically be sent to your
SPAM folder. I advise only reading emails in that folder at your own
risk.
6. Report Suspicious Emails and/or Phone calls -
Report all
suspicious emails. If you feel like you have been a victim of an I.R.S. email
scam already, immediately report this to the I.R.S. by emailing
phishing@irs.gov.
This address is official and you can find the specific
instructions on how to report an I.R.S. email scam here.
Lastly, You can
always contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with any questions regarding this
matter.
About the Author
Neil Lemons represents Allied Tax Solutions, a 30 year
leader in IRS help & tax relief solutions helping individuals and companies.
For more information or a free consultation visit
http://www.alliedtaxsolutions.com.