If you get an email from the IRS that starts out "Dear Taxpayer," that
should be enough to tell you that it is not an email from the IRS. It is a scam.
"The IRS does not send emails to taxpayers asking for personal or financial
information," said Christopher Miller, IRS spokesman at the agency's Milwaukee
office.
One "Dear Taxpayer" email making the rounds Wednesday claimed the IRS "found an
error in calculation of your tax" which requires the IRS to return the "excess
payment." It contains the IRS logo and includes a link to an official-looking
page where the taxpayer "applies" for an "e-refund," for which the taxpayer must
provide bank account information."
It's phishing, pure and simple, said Miller.
"We see these types of phishing emails throughout the year, but they seem to
spike around tax season," said Miller. "They come in all flavors, but the taste
is always bad.
"We ask you to not open the email or the attachments, but we want you to send it
to a special address, phishing@irs.gov. Send it in its entirety so we can see
the attachments."
For more information on this and similar IRS-related scams, go to
go.madison.com/irsscams.
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(c)2013 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)
Distributed by MCT Information Services
