Don't Fall for Phony IRS Websites
By: Blake Deshazo
Updated: November 1, 2012
Don't Fall for Phony IRS Websites
Special Edition Tax Tip 2012-13
The Internal Revenue Service is issuing a warning about a new tax scam that uses a website
that mimics the IRS e-Services online registration page.
The actual IRS e-Services page offers web-based products for tax preparers, not the general
public. The phony web page looks almost identical to the real one.
The IRS gets many reports of fake websites like this. Criminals use these sites to lure
people into providing personal and financial information that may be used to steal the victim's money or identity.
The address of the official IRS website is www.irs.gov.
Don't be misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov.
If you find a suspicious website that claims to be the IRS, send the site's URL by email
to phishing@irs.gov.
Use the subject line, 'Suspicious website'.
Be
aware that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to
request personal or financial information. This includes
any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social
media channels.
If you get an unsolicited email that appears to be from the IRS, report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
The IRS has information at www.irs.gov that can help
you protect yourself from tax scams of all kinds. Search the site using the term "phishing."
To automatically receive IRS tax tips, visit IRS.gov, click on "News" and select "e-News Subscriptions."
To automatically receive IRS tax tips, visit IRS.gov, click on "News" and select "e-News Subscriptions."
Links:
- Suspicious e-Mails and Identity Theft
- Reporting Phishing
- Identity Theft resource page
- Publication 4523, Beware of Phishing Schemes (PDF)
IRS YouTube Videos:
IRS Podcasts:
