Beware of IRS e-mail scams

Tax season isn’t quite here yet, but scammers are already making the rounds. The IRS is warning consumers about bogus e-mails that dupes people into giving away private information.

1) Don’t be fooled

The aim of these e-mails is to trick you into giving away personal info — like your bank account numbers or your Social Security number. The scam artists then use this information to steal your identity or to get access to other personal info or your money. These e-mails may say you’re eligible for a tax refund or indicate that you qualify for a payment from last year’s economic stimulus plan.

2) Know what to do

If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to an IRS site, don’t open it, even if it looks official or has the IRS logo. That’s because these attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer. Do not click on any links. The bottom line here is that the IRS does not request detailed personal information through an e-mail. You won’t be asked for PIN numbers, passwords or credit card information by the IRS via an e-mail.

3) Alert the authorities

If you receive an e-mail or find a Web site you think is pretending to be the IRS, Forward the e-mail or Web site URL to the IRS to phishing@irs.gov. After you forward the e-mail, delete the message.