IRS Cautions Taxpayers in NY about One Fresh Phishing Campaign

IRS (Internal Revenue Service) is cautioning New Yorkers about one fresh phishing campaign, which is doing the rounds across the country, including New York, published Bed-StuyPatch in news on November 2, 2011.

Reportedly, the e-mail scam involves one crafty message supposedly from the tax agency, displaying the caption, "IRS Notification," while it contains an attachment that apparently will provide information regarding taxes due to be submitted during the returns filing year 2010-2011.

Viewing this attachment alternatively hitting on a given web-link produces malware that infects the user's computer. Consequently, it lets the dispatcher of the e-mail to access things on that user's PC, including bank details and passwords.

Authorities at IRS, however, reminded consumers that it didn't dispatch spam mails alternatively requested for their financial or other personal information. Besides, the agency didn't ever request consumers for their passwords, PIN numbers, alternatively likewise confidential details related to their financial accounts or credit card over e-mail.

Therefore, incase any taxpayer gets such an electronic mail he must send it to the Internal Revenue Service. There, investigators will examine the e-mail for tracing down the culprits.

The agency also suggests that when such an e-mail is forwarded to it, users must ensure that the message shows all its captions. Several e-mail software applications make an automatic display of merely the key captions. When all the captions become visible, the scam electronic mail can then be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov.

The authorities outline that the tax agency may utilize the web-links, URLs and other information within the fake electronic mails for tracking down the websites that provide the hosting services as also indicate to authorities for assisting in closing these fake hosting websites.

Moreover, once the e-mail along with its captions is forwarded to IRS, the message must be deleted, authorities at the IRS suggest.

Eventually, New York taxpayers aren't the lone ones getting the tax-related scam e-mails. Actually, news about the same kind of scams emerged within United Kingdom lately. Scammers understandably, dispatched numerous e-mails to people paying taxes, posing as representatives of HMRC and then deceiving the consumers into surrendering personal information.

Related article: IRS Cautions Taxpayers of Recent Email Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 11/10/2011