Phishing is one of the most common types of IRS scams. Last year, the IRS reported a 400 percent increase in phishing scams during tax season. These scams involve sending tax filers fake emails to get them to reveal important personal information like Social Security numbers, birthdays or addresses. Emails may look and sound official. Some may look like they came from the IRS, or organizations like the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. They may ask tax filers about topics related to refunds, filing status or confirming personal information. Fake emails often contain links to malicious websites. The emails may ask tax filers to update their e-file information, but will link to a fake and official looking website. These websites use scripts and hyperlinks that contain malware injections used to steal the information of tax filers. How Can You Avoid Phishing Scams? The IRS has several suggestions that can help filers avoid…
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