This is a sample of one of the IRS scam e-mails that have been spotted. (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/Chris/Confessions of a Consultant)

Each tax season, unscrupulous individuals come out of the cyber-woodwork to prey on unsuspecting taxpayers. Unfortunately, 2011 tax time is no different. According to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, a new IRS e-mail scam is circulating that can infect your computer with malware and viruses and even place your sensitive financial data in the hands of identity thieves.

The IRS does not sent personal tax e-mails

Dan Boone, an IRS media relations representative, told the Times-Gazette that the IRS never sends e-mails about specific tax returns.

“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 scam e-mail in circulation, there is a common theme. Identity thieves are phishing for social security numbers, bank account numbers or other personal information that will make it much easier to get their hands on your money or lines of credit in your name. Typically, the fraud e-mail dangles a refund due to the consumer but 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 handle an IRS phishing scam

If you receive an e-mail claiming to be from IRS.gov that asks for your personal information, do not click on any links in the e-mail or download/open any attachments, advises Boone. 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 link in an information-seeking IRS scam e-mail redirects a taxpayer to a website that looks like IRS.gov, the fact is that the IRS does not send taxpayers e-mails that require personal data.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to report fraud of any kind. Forward suspicious e-mails to phishing(at)irs.gov. Please note that a return receipt from the IRS will not be issued. For more information, consult IRS form IR-2006-49.

Sources

IRS.gov: Suspicious e-mails and identity theft

Shelbyville Times-Gazette

Beware e-mails that appear to be from the IRS

IRS building. Image from Flikr.com.

If you have gotten a “notice of unreported income e-mail,” delete it and do nothing else. And if you do get a notice of unreported income e-mail or any e-mail from the IRS that asks for a response in the future, do not respond.

Don’t panic if you’ve gotten a notice of unreported income e-mail and opened it. Replying is the part that will get you in trouble. It’s a phishing scam from someone who is trying to get your IRS login ID and password, so just don’t respond. Giving out your password online is the first step toward identity theft, and you don’t want some scammer taking out online cash loans in your name and running off with the money.

IRS does not use e-mail

OK, so the IRS does use e-mail, but not for getting personal information from you. Any transfer of personal information between you and the IRS online will happen via your online IRS account, which you must log in to, using your password.

Don’t e-mail your IRS login information and password to anyone. The IRS will never ask you to do this. In fact, this is a good rule of thumb for any password you want to keep a secret: don’t put it in an e-mail.

Why would someone do this?

If the phishers are successful at getting your IRS login information, they will be able to attempt to change your tax filing to show that you are owed a tax refund. Of course, they will arrange for the tax return to be sent to them, not you.

Once the IRS catches the mistake, you will have to pay back the money. Even though it was the person who stole your identity and not you who ended up with the cash, you will be held responsible. And you don’t want to be on the IRS’s bad side.

Same old story

This “notice of unreported income e-mail” isn’t the first time scammers have tried to get people’s tax information. Back in 2005 some scammers started an e-mail campaign, saying they were the IRS, asking for taxpayers to give their social security number and credit card information.

The IRS will never need your credit card information. If you choose to put taxes owed on a credit card, you can do so. But the IRS will never solicit your credit card information from you. Also, never give out your social security number unless you are absolutely positively certain you know where it’s going and who you’re giving it to. Don’t e-mail your social security number to someone you don’t know.

Avoid IRS e-mail scams

The most important thing to remember is that the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails. That means that the only time the IRS will ever e-mail you is when you e-mail them first and they respond. If you are going to get an e-mail alert informing you that your taxes have been filed or that your refund has been deposited into your account, you will be warned in advance when you file your taxes.

In the case of e-mail alerts, the IRS will not ask you to respond, and in fact you can’t respond. The IRS won’t ever ask you for personal information in an e-mail, and they will not communicate with you by e-mail unless you request it. So don’t get scammed by the “notice of unreported income e-mail” or any other IRS scams!