IRS Pretenders Want to Steal Your Life

The tax rebates may or may not have stimulated the economy, but they have definitely stimulated rafts of scammers pretending to be the IRS to launch more innovative identity theft attacks against Americans.

In the two months since the tax rebates started, the IRS has received almost 700 reports from taxpayers of email- and fax-based attempts to steal their personal financial information by scammers impersonating the IRS.

"Taxpayers should take steps to keep their personal information out of the hands of identity thieves," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman in a press release. "That includes not falling for any of the phony e-mails or faxes now in circulation pretending to come from the IRS."

According to the IRS, the most common scams involve tax refunds and, this year, the economic stimulus -- tax rebate -- payments.

The IRS Would Never: Remember, the IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers via email. The IRS never requests detailed personal information through e-mail. The IRS never sends email requesting taxpayers' PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

Also See:
Tax Rebate Information Center
Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes (IRS)