Fraudsters are relentless in their efforts to snare individuals and businesses alike. Lately, there has been yet another convincing email going around that claims to be from the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
The email contains all the right elements to lure in victims and convince them to give out personal information: they list a fake case number to gain credibility and induce uncertainty about a person’s tax return while also claiming to have a solution to help individuals. Many versions if the emails include messages like: “Your reported 2013 income is flagged for review due to a document processing error. Your case has been forwarded to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance. To avoid delays processing your 2013 filing contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance.” Then, the fraudsters provide links to follow that are designed to look like they provide more information about the Taxpayer Advocate Service; other links include keywords such as “review reported income” and related claims. These links are harmful as they solicit personal information and other sensitive information.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is a real organization that the IRS launched to help taxpayers. So how can one tell the difference between a phishing email and a legitimate IRS email? The most important thing to remember is that the IRS does NOT initiate contact with taxpayers through unsolicited emails, texts, or social media. If you get a suspicious message claiming to be from the IRS or other IRS services/organizations, don’t click the links! Rather, the message should be forwarded as-is to the IRS at [email protected]. You can always contact the IRS directly if you have any questions about your return or other information. Visit http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-Your-Local-IRS-Office-1 to find out how to contact your local IRS office.
