Taxpayers Beware: IRS Warns of More E-mail Scams
The IRS is warning taxpayers of several fraudulent scams that are currently circulating via e-mail. To help you avoid becoming a victim of these scams, the IRS offers these reminders:
- The IRS does not send unsolicited e-mail to taxpayers.
- Do not click on links or open attachments in unsolicited e-mail or messages from unknown sources.
- The U.S. government (including the IRS) does not send e-mail to taxpayers asking for charitable contributions.
- The IRS does not send updates or forms via e-mail to taxpayers regarding tax refunds.
- The IRS does not distribute surveys or other tax forms through e-mail campaigns.
- Do not release your personal or financial information such as PINs, passwords, or access to your credit card or bank accounts to anyone claiming to be from the IRS or the U.S. government. The IRS does NOT ask for that type of information through unsolicited e-mail, attachments, or Web forms.
The IRS advises taxpayers to be on the lookout for these recent e-mail scams, aimed at business and individual taxpayers:
IRS Exempt Organizations: Surfacing in mid-January, this bogus refund scheme targets organizations that distribute funds to other individuals or organizations. This e-mail claims to be sent from the director of the IRS Exempt Organizations area of the IRS and carries the name and supposed signature of the director. The e-mail attempts to convince recipients to click on a link to access a tax refund form. The IRS reminds taxpayers that they can claim refunds by filing an annual tax return, not through a separate application or form.
Taxpayer Advocate Service: This November 2007 e-mail scam claims to be sent from the IRS and the Taxpayer Advocate Service (which is a legitimate, independent organization with the IRS that assists taxpayers with unresolved tax problems). The mail claims that the recipient is eligible for a refund and contains a link to a fake IRS Web site.
Charitable contributions to victims of Southern California wildfires: Another e-mail that appeared in November 2007, this scam claims to be a solicitation from the IRS and the U.S. government for charitable contributions to victims of the Southern California wildfires. That message contains a link to a fraudulent donation form that asks recipients for personal and financial information.
"Get Your Tax Refund!" page: A scam that started making the rounds in September 2007, this e-mail tells recipients that the IRS has calculated their "fiscal activity," and they are now eligible for a refund of a specified amount. Taxpayers receive a page or are sent to a fake Web site titled "Get Your Tax Refund!" that is very similar to the legitimate IRS Web site's "Where's My Refund" page. On the fake page, recipients are asked to enter their Social Security numbers and filing status as well as their credit card account numbers.
Phishing—online customer satisfaction survey: This August 2007 phishing e-mail tries to convince recipients that they can receive $80 by filling out an online customer satisfaction survey for the IRS.
Tax avoidance investigation: In this scam, a "Tax Avoidance Investigation" e-mail claiming to come from the IRS "Fraud Department" informs recipients that they may have committed fraud and asks them to click a link and then complete an "investigation form." Clicking the link may activate a Trojan horse (a computer program that installs itself on a user's computer without their knowledge and that can perform tasks such as communicating sensitive information with an outside server without the user's knowledge).
California Franchise Tax Board: Recipients are told that they are under criminal investigation for submitting a false tax return to the California Franchise Tax Board. The e-mail asks that the recipient click a link or open an attachment to learn more information about the complaint against them.
Protect Yourself
To read more about the specifics of these taxpayer-related e-mail scams, visit the IRS site at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=170894,00.html.
To learn more about discerning suspicious e-mails and preventing identity theft, read http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=155682,00.html.
If you believe you have received one of these e-mails described, DO NOT open any attachments or click any links contained in it. Follow the instructions provided at http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=155344,00.html.
QuickBooks Payroll Bulletin
Editor: Lise Quintana
Publisher: Intuit
We welcome your suggestions and feedback! Unfortunately, we cannot respond to requests for change of address, technical support, or sales information.
E-mail us at payroll_editor@intuit.com