IRS Email "Satisfaction" Survey is a Scam

The IRS is warning taxpayers not to fall for a new email-based scam offering them $80 to participate in an online IRS customer satisfaction survey.

The unsolicited email appears to come from the IRS and contains a URL linking linking to an online "Member Satisfaction Survey." Both the email and the online survey form are peppered with references to the IRS and even display the IRS logo. In return for filling out the form, victims are promised that the IRS will credit $80 to the taxpayer’s account. Of course, the form also requests the participant's name, phone number and credit card information. Once they have the name and phone number, the scammers call the victim and try to get other personal financial information that would allow them to access the victim's bank and credit card accounts. Pure and simple identity theft.

It's not that the IRS doesn't care about customer satisfaction, they just want taxpayers to remember that the IRS never sends unsolicited e-mail. Additionally, the IRS never asks taxpayers for PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Turn Them In!
Taxpayers who receive the "Member Satisfaction Survey" scam email or any email purporting to be from the IRS should forward the complete email to phishing@irs.gov. Since they established that email box less than a year ago, the IRS has received more 30,000 than emails from taxpayers reporting almost 400 separate identity theft scams.

Also See:
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
New Law to Protect Against Identity Theft
Jury Duty Scam Could Lead to Identity Theft