5 Things to Know About Tax Scams

By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com Each year the IRS receives thousands of reports from taxpayers of suspicious e-mails, phone calls and faxes. These notices claim to be from the IRS – and often use the agency's logo – but are scams meant to trick taxpayers into revealing personal information. Here's what the IRS wants you to know about these scams so you don't become a victim: 1. The IRS doesn't ask for detailed personal and financial information. Any notice claiming to be from the IRS that asks for your PIN, password or similar secret access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts is a scam. 2. The IRS doesn't send taxpayers e-mails or text messages. So do not reply to e-mails or messages supposedly from the IRS, open any attachments (which could contain viruses) or click on any links (which could take you to a fraudulent site). 3. The IRS Web site is www.irs.gov. Sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations are bogus. 4. You should be wary of people claiming to be IRS agents. Don't reveal any personal information if someone calls and claims to be from the IRS. Instead, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to see if an agent has a legitimate need to contact you. 5. You should report scams. The IRS Web site provides details on reporting scams and what to do if you've been victimized. Reprinted with permission. All Contents ©2011 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com