Quickbooks, Bookkeeping and Accounting Blog

The IRS has warned taxpayers about several scams, the goal of which is generally to trick people into giving away personal and financial information, including social security numbers, bank account numbers and credit card numbers. The scammers then use these numbers to commit identity theft, incuding applying for new loans or credit cards, running up charges on existing credit cards and emptying victim’s bank accounts.

As it can take years to straighten things out after one’s identity has been stolen, accountants should consider informing their clients of some of the common scams that the IRS is aware of:

• Rebate Phone Call
  Someone claiming to work for the IRS calls and informs people that they can receive a rebate by filing early. If the individual called is interested, the caller then claims to need the person’s bank account information in order to set them up for direct deposits.
  • The IRS does not require people to use direct deposit and, for those who do, the IRS does not gather bank account informaiton over the phone.
• Refund Email
  Scammers send emails to people, purportedly coming from the IRS, stating that the individual is eligible for a specific tax refund, which they can get by clicking on a link in the email and then filling out some personal information on the website they are taken to.
  • The only way to apply for a refund is to file a tax return. Also, there is only one official IRS website: www.irs.gov.
• Audit Email
  Scammers send emails to people, purportedly coming from the IRS, stating that the individual will be audited. The individual is then instructed to click on links and complete forms, including personal information that the scammers can use to commit identity theft.
  • The IRS does not send emails of this nature to taxpayers.
• Changes to Tax Law Email
  Scammers email accountants, “Treasury” managers and businesses instructing them to download information on various tax law changes by clicking on a number of links.  The IRS believes that by clicking on these links, the user downloads malware (software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer without the owner’s consent) which could be used to find passwords or other information on the user’s computer.
  • The links do not take users to legitimate IRS web addresses. IRS web pages begin with www.irs.gov.
• Paper Check Phone Call
  Scammers claiming to be IRS employees call individuals and state that the individual has not cashed a check from the IRS, and that because it hasn’t been cashed, the IRS needs to verify the person’s bank account number.
  • The IRS does not ask for bank account information over the phone and does not follow up on uncashed checks.

When people receive emails supposedly coming from the IRS which they believe might be scams, they can forward the email to phishing@irs.gov.