Is the IRS Looking for You? Not so Fast!

It is that time of year when people are rushing around to complete their taxes, trying to gather paper work to start on their taxes, or just plain stressed about what the outcome of their taxes for this year will be. Whatever your situation is, be careful to ensure that you are not being taken advantage of by a scam that is occurring. I have had a few readers inform me they have received emails from the IRS. Was it scary to them to receive letters from the IRS? Of course. Often that can mean trouble. This time what attracted their attention was the claim that a refund was owed to them. We often like the thought of that, but realistically how often does that happen? The email instructed them to click on a link that was attached. They did, and when they got to the next step they began to fill uneasy.

They were greeted by a form that required completion and requested personal information. Bank account numbers, credit card information, social security numbers etc. If you receive an email like this requesting private information do not respond. Check further before you do anything else! The IRS will not request personal information like this via email. This is a "phishing" scheme designed to obtain information about your financial accounts by identity thieves. Don't fall victim. Be careful what you pick, before you take that final click.