These phishing scams occur when individuals pose as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees and send consumers e-mails requesting personal information, supposedly for the purpose of processing refunds. The e-mails appear to be official, using language such as "Refund Notice" in the subject lines.
These e-mails are fraudulent and are an attempt to gather personal information that could be used to steal your identity. The IRS does NOT send e-mails asking for personal information to process refunds. Consumers can visit the IRS Web site at www.IRS.gov and click on "Where's My Refund" to check on the status of their refunds.
Goddard offers the following advice to avoid becoming a tax scam victim:
- Never give out personal identification information to anyone you don't know over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Do not respond to e-mails asking for information relating to refunds. The IRS's Web site is the legitimate source for checking on the status of your refund.
- Do not let anyone claiming to be an agent for the IRS into your home unless he or she has proper identification. You can also call the IRS to verify their identity.
