New IRS Tax Refund Scam, warns FBI
Photo by: ninjapoodles
FBI is sounding fresh alerts to warn citizens of the presence of a new wave of phishing scams online. Fraudsters posing as employees of the IRS or organizations like the well-respected TaxPayer Advocate Service (a part of the IRS) and armed with email addresses like service@irs.gov and tax-refund@irs.gov, maybe on the prowl, it warns.
In a very polished attempt, fraudsters are using a website closely resembling the official IRS website to entice readers of their mails to part with personal information like their Name, Address, Phone number, Bank Account number, Credit Card number, Card Expiry date, ATM Pin number, Social Security number, Passport number, and your mother’s maiden name. The last bit of detail is sought as it is typically the answer to an online security question that otherwise restricts access to your funds.
The email may be presented to you on a number of excuses:
- The latest variant of the fraud claims the government has announced a new, faster,and easier way of receiving refunds under the Economic Stimulus Program. It advises you to take advantage of the direct deposit feature for claiming refunds. To receive the refund in this manner, you just have to fill up a form presented on clicking a link on the email. It brings in an element of hurry by saying refunds may be delayed if the online form is not filled within a certain date.
- The email offers to pay $80 if you take part in a customer satisfaction survey. It start off with asking standard questions. Then it asks for your account details presumably to credit the reward to your account.
- The email claims there were problems with the return you filed last year. Apparently, the social security number filed in the original return did not match ones in IRS records; or, you forgot to append an electronic signature to the return. For either reason, you are asked to confirm personal details before the return can be accepted.
- The email claims you are being investigated for fraud by the IRS and demands answers as a part of the investigation.
Sometimes, they merely rely on your clicking a link inside the email to do the trick. The click downloads a Trojan malware in your computer. It spies on you when you are online and transmits all of your passwords and login information to the crooks sitting at remote computers.
You can stay away from such fraud by knowing:
- Tax Refunds CANNOT be claimed in any other way except by filing your returns. You need not do anything more.
- IRS NEVER contacts taxpayers via email. It uses US Mail for all official communication.
- No financial institution be it the IRS, banks or your credit card company will EVER ask you to “verify” your account details online.
Any of this happening should trigger alarm signals in you!
In case you receive such an email, please contact ic3.gov and the IRS (email: phishing@irs.gov) to lodge a complaint.
This would enable others to be saved from the fraud!
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