PHISHING

Clipart courtesy of Microsoft Word and Article reprinted courtesy of www.irs.gov

Don’t Fall for Phony IRS Websites

The IRS warns consumers 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. Typically, identity thieves empty the victim’s financial accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards or apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim’s name.

‪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.

The IRS website has information that can help you protect yourself from tax scams of all kinds. Search the site using the term: phishing.