Explore the latest news and trends  

Sign up for our weekly security newsletter


Be the first to receive important updates on security





Send

Phishing E-mails Targeting Non-residents by Using IRS Name

Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a warning in the 1st week of December 2008 that phishing scams purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have been circulating to steal identification credentials from the victims.

According to the reports, the e-mail claims to be sent by the IRS while the sender's ID shows as mailto:nonereply@irs.gov and the caption of the hoax e-mail reads "please check the attachment".

Furthermore, the attachment received so far poses to be an official letter from either "Laura Stevens" or "Steven Jobs" working at the Public Relations Department, IRS. The letter contains the IRS logo and asks the recipient to submit details in two attached forms and then fax them back to either 646-731-6884 or 646-403-4499.

According to the reports, the hoax e-mail reportedly informs that non-resident individuals need not to pay any income tax, but they are required to give proof of their non-resident alien position by similarly submitting details in one of the forms attached with the electronic mail. The other form, claims the e-mail, is for residents who might have now become the US citizens. In any case, both the forms seek personal information such as bank account and social security numbers.

Jean Herman, President, BBB Serving Denver/Boulder, said that the scam seems to be a phishing attempt to collect personal details for committing identity theft, as reported by denver.bbb in the 1st week of December 2008.

Meantime, investigations into the phishing scam still circulating prompted tri-cityherald to publish a statement from Judy Monahan, Spokeswoman of IRS, on December 9, 2008 in which she said that it is another most recent e-mail fraud making rounds across the nation.

She further stated that the IRS does not ask for passwords or private financial information through e-mails. Therefore, she urged anyone getting such kind of e-mail to delete it immediately.

Meantime, security experts stated that fraudulent or phishing e-mails have been attempting to attract consumers by promising them tax refunds, fees for taking part in online surveys on customer satisfactio, or similar payments.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

ยป SPAMfighter News - 12/17/2008

3 simple steps to update drivers on your Windows PCSlow PC? Optimize your Slow PC with SLOW-PCfighter!Email Cluttered with Spam? Free Spam Filter!

Dear Reader

We are happy to see you are reading our IT Security News.

We do believe, that the foundation for a good work environment starts with fast, secure and high performing computers. If you agree, then you should take a look at our Business Solutions to Spam Filter & Antivirus for even the latest version of Exchange Servers - your colleagues will appreciate it!

Go back to previous page
Next