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Call 11 For Action: Beware of phishing scams during tax season

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(WTOL) – As tax season approaches, everyone is preparing and gathering information. With all of the important personal documents circulating, be careful not to allow others access to that information.

When tax time comes around, crooks follow. A big problem this time of year is phishing e-mails. Scammers use the phony messages in attempts to obtain personal information.

An example of a deceptive e-mail is claiming it came from a legitimate company called Intuit, which offers services, such as Turbo Tax and Quicken. The subject reads: Please provide your tax information.

The e-mail claims the name or social security number given is incorrect. Then there is a link to click and fix the problem, but it is a complete hoax.

The real Intuit company is on to the scam. On its website, it has a message alerting consumers about the fake e-mail. It warns not to click the link but to instead report the e-mail to them at spoof@intuit.com.

The Internal Revenue Service is also aware of this and other phishing scams.

The IRS has this advice:

  • Do not reply to any suspicious messages
  • Do not open any attachments
  • Do not click on any links
  • Forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov

After the e-mail is forwarded be sure to delete it.

Although this is just one of the latest tricks crooks are using, remember there are many more out there. If interested in more examples, go to the IRS website.

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