Tax Season Scams In Full Swing

By: Salina Greene, Outreach Coordinator, NHS of Baltimore

Tax season is quickly coming upon us and scammers are already lining up to take advantage. Last week, I received an e-mail that appeared to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)- the contents of the e-mail included a believable e-mail address, office@2010-irs.gov, a calculation of my fiscal tax year activity stating my eligibility to receive a tax refund, complete with an amount owed and a link to a PDF file requesting some personal information required for tax refunds. It was a scam. The number one tip-off being e-mail address listed above.

“The IRS does not discuss tax account matters with taxpayers by e-mail,” nor does it, “request detailed personal information through e-mail, send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts,” as clearly stated on their website. Furthermore, all IRS.gov web page addresses begin with, http://www.irs.gov/.

A lot of people may be tempted to submit personal information as we struggle through this recession. In order to protect yourselves from predatory scammers, always double check that the information you are receiving is valid and from reputable companies. Identity theft is on the rise at an alarming rate. Just a few years’ ago, scammers would solicit a person’s personal information over the phone, through the trash, and through mailings. Today, scammers have learned to manipulate, and infiltrate the internet and e-mail systems.

Armed with a victim’s name and social security number, scammers can rob your financial accounts, run up charges on your credit cards, and apply for new loans, benefits, and other consumer services. If you suspect any fraudulent activity involving misuse of the IRS name, logo, or other properties, please report it directly to the IRS by forwarding the e-mail as is to, phishing@irs.gov. You can also call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) toll-free at 1-800-366-4484 to report these scams.

To read more about what you can do to avoid and report scams, click here.