September 10, 2009
Phishing Email
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Phishing Emails
The FBI has recently warned people about spam e-mail supposedly from the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] which is actually an attempt to steal your personal information.The e-mail advises you that direct deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive your economic stimulus tax rebate. The message contains a hyperlink to a fraudulent form which requests your personally identifiable information, including bank account information.
To convince you to reply, the e-mail warns that a failure to complete the form in a timely manner will delay the issuance of your rebate check.
One example of this IRS spam e-mail message is as follows:
"Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Obama's program to jumpstart the economy. Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2009 Economic Stimulus Refund.
The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.
Please follow the link and fill out the form and submit before September 30, 2009 to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as possible.
To access Economic Stimulus refund, please click here."
Remember that the IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications via e-mail. In addition, the IRS does not request detailed personal information via e-mail or ask taxpayers for the PIN numbers, passwords, or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank, or other financial accounts.
Please be cautious of unsolicited e-mails.
It is recommended not to open e-mails from unknown senders because they often contain viruses or other malicious software. It is also recommended to avoid clicking links in e-mails received from unknown senders as this is a popular method of directing you to phishing websites.
If you are a victim of an online scheme, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.
Remember - always watch for scams!
Steve