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Watch For Scams Newsletter. IRS Refunds
April 22, 2010
Hello

IRS Refunds

Watch For Scams is dedicated to helping you avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

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IRS Refunds

Email, claiming to be from the IRS, states that you are eligible for a tax refund and should click on an included link to access the refund.

The message is not from the IRS and the promised refund is just a trick to get you to disclose your personal and financial information. If you follow the link in the email you will be taken to a fake website designed to look like the genuine IRS website. Once on the fake website, you will be asked to provide credit card details, social security numbers and other personal information.

All information provided can be collected and used by Internet scammers for fraud and identity theft.

It is an example of a phishing email that is designed to trick you into divulging your personal information. The fake website looks very real and uses copied graphics and logos that are designed to fool you into thinking it is the genuine site.

The IRS has published information warning US taxpayers about IRS related phishing scams. The warning states:

* The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail

* The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail

* The IRS does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts

Some versions of these scam emails attempt to trick you into opening an attachment rather than following a link. These attachments open a web-based form that again asks for personal and financial information that can be collected by Internet criminals.

You should treat any unsolicited email that claims that you are eligible for a tax refund with the great suspicion. Government tax entities such as the IRS do not send refund notifications via unsolicited email.

If you receive such an email, do not follow any links in the message or open any attachments that it may contain.

If you have received an e-mail referencing the above information or have been a victim of this or a similar incident, you should notify the IC3 via www.ic3.gov.

Remember - always watch for scams!

Steve

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