January 28, 2008: Though this is the time many
people begin looking forward to tax refunds, it is also a time
scammers ramp up their scams. Currently, there is a phony e-mail
going around that even the Internal Revenue Service admits looks
legitimate. The e-mail indicates that there has been a
miscalculation on your last tax return and you were due a refund.
It then asks for your credit card information and social security
number. According to Jody Reynolds, an employee with the IRS, this
is one of the better 300 or so IRS scams going around. The IRS
never initiates contact by e-mail or by phone call," said Reynolds.
"If we want to get in contact with you, we do it first by letter."
Again, the IRS will never e-mail you or phone you to inform you of
a tax refund, never. "If we've got a refund for you, we know how to
reach you and we will send that to you in the mail or put it in
your bank account if you had already given us that information on
your tax return only," said Reynolds. If you receive an e-mail that
appears to have come from the IRS, call the agency or log on to
IRS.gov so that an investigation can begin, then delete. Source-
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