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Last Modified 07/22/04

IRS Phone, E-mail Scam

The IRS warns taxpayers to be on the alert for e-mails and phone calls they may receive which claim to come from the IRS or other federal agency and which mention their tax refund, economic stimulus payment, or they owe taxes.  These are almost certainly a scam whose purpose is to obtain personal and financial information - such as name, Social Security number, bank account and credit card or even PIN numbers - from taxpayers which can be used by the scammers to commit identity theft.  These e-mails and calls usually state that the IRS needs the information to process a refund or stimulus payment or deposit it into the taxpayer's bank account.  The e-mails often contain links or attachments to what appears to be the IRS website or an IRS "refund application form."  However genuine in appearance, these phonies are designed to elicit the information the scammers are looking for.

The IRS does not call or send taxpayers e-mails about their tax accounts.  Additionally, the only way to get a tax refund or stimulus payment, or to arrange for a direct deposit, is to file a tax return.

The Internal Revenue Service reminds consumers to avoid identity theft scams that use the IRS name, logo or website in an attempt to convince taxpayers that the scam is a genuine communication from the IRS.  Scammers may use other federal agency names, such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

In an identity theft scam, a fraudster, often posing as a trusted government, financial or business institution or official, tries to trick a victim into revealing personal and financial information, such as credit card numbers and passwords, bank account numbers and passwords, Social Security numbers and more.  Generally, identity thieves use someone's personal data to steal his or her financial accounts, run up charges on the victim's existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim's name and even file fraudulent tax returns.