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Watch Out For IRS Phishing Net
Jason Lee Miller
Staff Writer
2006-03-23
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The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is warning taxpayers to watch out for cyber crooks posing as the IRS to steal personal information. The IRS and Treasury Department have reported an increase in "phishing" scams this year.
Fraudulent spammers send emails with the IRS logo in an effort to dupe taxpayers into providing personal information Social Security numbers, passwords, and bank information.
The emails soliciting personal information can be very convincing, coming from addresses like "tax-refunds@irs.gov" or "admin@irs.gov", but actually redirect the responses to phishers.
The scammers can then use the information to open lines of credit, applying for loans, or file false tax returns. According to NCPC, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, but this type of scam can be prevented by taking some simple precautions:
· Never give out your personal information over the phone or Internet unless you have initiated the contact. Government agencies and companies do not communicate about personal information via email, or ask for passwords, personal identification numbers, or other private information about financial accounts unless you contact them.
· Check your credit records once a year with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or Transunion). You are entitled to one free credit report from each credit bureau every year. You can obtain additional copies for a small fee. Look for anything unusual in any of your accounts.
· Report suspicious activity right away. Alert the credit bureau to the possible fraud, close the account you think has been compromised, file a police report in case you need to provide proof of the crime, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at its website (www.consumer.gov/idtheft).
· Victims of this particular scam can file a report to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
About the Author:
Jason is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He covers business, technology, and security issues.
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