Reporting Phishing and Online IRS Scams

Protect yourself – don’t fall prey to IRS scams.  Note that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by any of the following methods: e-mail, text messages and social media channels.

They will not issue requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts via any of the above methods.

Phishing is a scam typically carried out through unsolicited e-mail and/or websites that pose as legitimate sites and lure unsuspecting victims to provide personal and financial information.

What should you do if you have received an unsolicited e-mail claiming to be from the IRS?  Report it via e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.  If you've experienced any monetary losses due to an IRS-related incident, please report it to the Treasury Inspector General Administration (TIGTA) and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their Complaint Assistant to make the information available to investigators.

To read the entire article and for more tips and helpful links, please visit www.irs.gov.