The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to watch out for fake
emails or websites looking to steal personal information. These “phishing”
schemes continue to be on the annual IRS list of “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for
the 2017 filing season.
The IRS saw a big spike in phishing and malware incidents during the 2016
tax season. New and evolving phishing schemes have already been seen this month
as scam artists work to confuse taxpayers during filing season. The IRS has
already seen email schemes in recent weeks targeting tax professionals, payroll
professionals, human resources personnel, schools as well as average taxpayers.
In these email schemes, criminals pose as a person or organization the
taxpayer trusts or recognizes. They may hack an email account and send mass
emails under another person’s name. They may pose as a bank, credit card
company, tax software provider or government agency. Criminals go to great
lengths to create websites that appear legitimate but contain phony log-in
pages. These criminals hope victims will take the bait and provide money,
passwords, Social Security numbers and other information that can lead to
identity theft.
"These email schemes continue to evolve and can fool even the most
cautious person. Email messages can look like they come from the IRS or others
in the tax community,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers should
avoid opening surprise emails or clicking on web links claiming to be from the
IRS. Don’t be fooled by unexpected emails about big refunds, tax bills or
requesting personal information. That’s not how the IRS communicates with
taxpayers.”
Scam emails and websites also can infect a taxpayer’s computer with malware
without the user knowing it. The malware can give the criminal access to the
device, enabling them to access all sensitive files or track keyboard strokes,
exposing login information.
Compiled annually, the “Dirty Dozen” lists a variety of common scams that
taxpayers may encounter anytime but many of these schemes peak during filing
season as people prepare their returns or find people to help with their taxes.
For those perpetrating these schemes, the scams can lead to significant
penalties and interest and possible criminal prosecution. IRS Criminal
Investigation works closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to shutdown
scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.
The IRS has teamed up with state revenue departments and the tax industry to
make sure taxpayers understand the dangers to their personal and financial data
as part of the “Taxes.
Security. Together” campaign.
Criminals increasingly are targeting tax professionals, deploying various
types of phishing emails in an attempt to access client data. The IRS, state
tax agencies and the tax industry also launched a public awareness campaign
called Protect
Your Client; Protect Yourself to warn tax professionals, offer tips and
compile alerts.
If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either
the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic
Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov. Learn more by going
to the Report
Phishing and Online Scams page.
Tax professionals who receive unsolicited and suspicious emails that appear
to be from the IRS or related to the e-Services program also should report it
by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
It is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact
with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This
includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social
media channels. The IRS has information
online that can help protect taxpayers from email scams.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware
of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer
Bill of Rights. Explore these rights and the agency’s obligations to
protect them on IRS.gov.
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