IRD Alerts Of Fake Tax Refund E-Mail

The IRD (Inland Revenue Department), in an alert to New Zealanders, has asked them to watch out for phishing e-mails with IRD numbers that can potentially defraud them off huge money and personal information.

An IRD spokeswoman in Wellington stated that several people had complained to the department regarding the fraudulent e-mails.

According to her, the e-mail scam sends an identical message as also talks about an identical sum of money. The message tells recipients that as per the latest computation, they're eligible for a $NZD609.30 refund. Believably, it's been doing the rounds for nearly seven days.

Continuing further, the e-mail recommends that recipients must forward their request for the tax-reimbursement, while allowing 7-14 days for its processing. Additionally it states that there can be a delay in the refund owing to various reasons. Moreover, when the e-mail is opened, a format appears that resembles IRD's stationery, nonetheless, it signs off from the IRS (Inland Revenue Service).

Stated the spokeswoman that the e-mail every time was the same, so was the recipient's alleged case number. According to her, IRD wouldn't ever distribute such e-mails so people receiving them must overlook them.

IRD reiterates that Inland Revenue won't ever request citizens to send their private information through e-mail. Moreover, consumers must forever be cautious of providing their IRD number or personal details to anybody over e-mail. Even any user getting such an e-mail mustn't open any web-link inside it while also not answer back; rather he must permanently remove it from his mailbox.

Earlier during March 2010 too, IRD released an alert for New Zealanders urging them to watch out for a scam of the same type. During then IRD had got several calls from the public reporting the fraudulent e-mail that promised them a tax reimbursement amounting up to $620.50.

The e-mail told the recipient that following the fiscal computation of his last annual period, IRD had found that he was entitled to a tax-reimbursement within the purview of the Inland Revenue Code's Section 501(c) (3). Subsequently, it directed him to provide his private details like username, IRD number, and credit card particulars.

Related article: IRD Warns of Fake Tax Refund E-mail Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 9/6/2010