| St Louis - The Internal Revenue Service warns taxpayers that e-mail scams are circulating that fraudulently use the IRS name or logo as a lure.
The goal of the scam - known as phishing - is to trick you into revealing personal and financial information. The scammers then use your personal information - such as your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers -to commit identity theft and steal your money.
The IRS does not send unsolicited e-mail asking about a person's taxes or for detailed personal and financial information. The IRS never asks for PIN numbers, passwords, credit card or bank account information.
If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be from the IRS or directing you to site for a refund or to answer questions about your tax return, Devine warns: do not reply to the message; do not open any attachments because they may contain a virus and do not click on any links.
The IRS says if they need to ask a question their initial contact will be a letter or notice that arrives through the mail. That correspondence will explain the situation and provide contact information. To verify the IRS is trying to contact you, call their toll-free number, (800) 829-1040.
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