Beware of Scams Using IRS Name and Logo

The Internal Revenue Service has issued several recent warnings on the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scammers trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information to steal their identity and assets. Current scams include phony e-mails that claim to come from the IRS and lure the victims into the scam by telling them that they are due a tax refund.

If you receive a suspicious e-mail that claims to come from the IRS, relay the e-mail to a new IRS mailbox, phishing@irs.gov. The IRS can use the information, URLs and links in the suspicious e-mails you send to trace the hosting Web site and alert authorities to help shut down the fraudulent sites. Unfortunately, due to the expected volume, the IRS will not be able to acknowledge receipt or respond to you.

When the IRS learns about schemes involving use of the IRS name, it tries to alert consumers as well as authorities that can shut down the scheme, if possible.

There are many different types of IRS-related scams being attempted.  For example, in a new scam, both a form and cover letter, supposedly from the IRS, are faxed to people with instructions to fax the completed form back to the number contained in the form. The letter says that the IRS requires an update of the recipient’s tax information and promises to deposit a nominal tax refund to the recipient’s bank account in return. The form is a “substitute and recertification” Form 1040, titled “Certificate of Current Status of Beneficial Owner For United States Tax Recertification & Withholding.” The form requests detailed personal and financial information, such as mother’s maiden name and bank account and PIN numbers, that can be used to steal the identity and access the bank accounts of anyone who responds to this scam.

In reality, there is no such form and the IRS does not ask taxpayers to provide the type of information specified on the form.

Some people have received phone calls about the economic stimulus payments, in which the caller impersonates an IRS employee. The caller asks the taxpayer for his/her Social Security and bank account numbers, claiming that the IRS needs the information to complete the processing of the taxpayer’s stimulus payment. In reality, the IRS uses the information contained on the taxpayer’s tax return to process stimulus payments, rather than contacting taxpayers by phone or e-mail.

Another scheme has been reported in which a tax refund form is e-mailed, supposedly by the Taxpayer Advocate Service (a genuine and independent organization within the IRS that assists taxpayers with unresolved problems). It is particularly blatant in the amount and type of information it requests. The top of the form tells the recipient that he/she is eligible for a tax refund for a specified amount.

Again, there are many variations of the above described schemes. Remember:

• The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail.
• The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail or fax or phone.
• The IRS does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

For more information, go to OnGuardOnline.gov. You’ll find practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.