Companies and individuals are receiving phony emails claiming to be from the IRS stating that they're eligible to receive a tax refund under their internal revenue code for various amounts. There are attached documents inquiring about personal, business and private information.
Emails such as these are known as "phishing" emails and a common example of identity theft. They are used to acquire sensitive financial information from the recipient or to install viruses on recipients' computers. According to a 2008 report by Websense Security Labs, nearly 10% of spam messages are phishing attacks, representing a 47% increase over the previous six-month period. They will ask for: social security number, mother's maiden name, driver's license number, credit card number, atm pin number and bank account number.
Do not divulge private or sensitive business information without checking the source thoroughly, and that includes a call to BBB.
Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you don't respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate site. But it isn't. It's a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don't click on the link in the message, either. Legitimate companies and agencies don't ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization (IRS) mentioned in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine. Area codes can mislead. Some scammers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." Because they use high tech methods the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers are.
Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov, and then visit the Federal Trade Commission's identity-theft website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. You may catch an incident early if your order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.