Scams

They're back... Online Scams that Impersonate the IRS

Alerts posted to protect taxpayers from phishing scams.


By: Scott Bailey, CISM
Director of Digital Forensics & Security
Rehmann Corporate Investigative Services



It has become a ritual that during and after each tax season, online identity theft, phishing schemes and other fraud scams involving impersonation of the IRS become more prevalent. Opening a suspicious email can trigger computer viruses, spyware and malware. We'd like to remind you to be aware of these scams and to use extra caution with your personal information and with your email accounts.

These scams may use the appropriate name, logo or other information to mimic the IRS or U.S. Department of the Treasury to mislead taxpayers into believing that the scam is legitimate, ultimately tricking you into providing your personal information. Scams involving the impersonation of the IRS usually take the form of e-mails, tweets or other online messages. Scammers may also use phones and faxes to reach intended victims. Some scammers even set up phony websites.

Generally, the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails to taxpayers. Further, the IRS does not discuss tax account information with taxpayers via e-mail or use e-mail to solicit sensitive financial and personal information from taxpayers. Also, the IRS does not request financial account security information, such as PIN numbers or passwords, from taxpayers.

For more information on these scams, see Suspicious e-Mails and Identity Theft on the IRS website.

The official IRS website is: http://www.irs.gov/.

Help shut down scammers by reporting suspicious emails to the IRS. Send the suspect email to: phishing@irs.gov. For more information on identifying and reporting scams please review the IRS Privacy Policy web page.