17 Apr IRS Warning: New Scam Claims to Offer IRS Help
The IRS wants people to be aware of this new scam that’s just popped up; how to spot and and where to report it.
The IRS just issued this warning:
The IRS has been alerted to a new email phishing scam. The emails appear to be from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service and include a bogus case number and the following message:
“Your reported 2013 income is flagged for review due to a document processing error. Your case has been forwarded to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance. To avoid delays processing your 2013 filing contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance.”
The recipient is directed to click on links that supposedly provide information about the “advocate” assigned to their case or that let them “review reported income.” The links lead to web pages that solicit personal information.
Taxpayers who get these messages should not respond to the email or click on the links. Instead, they should forward the scam emails to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. For more information, visit the IRS’s Report Phishing web page.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is a legitimate IRS organization that helps taxpayers resolve federal tax issues that have not been resolved through the normal IRS channels. The IRS, including TAS, does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, texting or any social media.
Tax Scams
Don’t fall victim to tax scams. Remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you know of a tax fraud, you can report it to the IRS by sending completed Form 3949-A, Information Referral, to Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888. You can download the form or call 1-800-829-3676 to order by mail.
Some of the other recent scams the IRS has seen include:
- IR-2013-84, IRS Warns of Pervasive Telephone Scam
- IR-2013-33, Don’t Fall Prey to the 2013 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
- IR-2011-73, IRS Urges Taxpayers to Avoid Becoming Victims of Tax Scams
Education is the best way to avoid the pitfalls of these “too good to be true” tax scams. For more information, see:
- Tax Scams — How to Report Them
- Criminal Investigation’s Tax Fraud Alerts
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