The FBI warns consumers of recently reported spam e-mail purportedly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which is actually an attempt to steal consumer information. The e-mail advises the recipient that direct deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive their economic stimulus tax rebate.
The message contains a hyperlink to a fraudulent form
which requests the recipient's personally identifiable information,
including bank account information. To convince consumers to reply, the
e-mail warns that a failure to complete the form in a timely manner
will delay the issuance of the rebate check.
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One example of this IRS spam e-mail message is as follows:
"Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Bush's program to jumpstart the economy.
Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.
The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.
Please follow the link and fill out the form and submit before May
10th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as
possible.
Submitting your form on May 10th, 2008 or later means that your
refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we anticipate for
the Economic Stimulus Refund.
To access Economic Stimulus refund, please click here."
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Consumers are advised that the IRS does not initiate taxpayer
communications via e-mail. In addition, the IRS does not request
detailed personal information via e-mail or ask taxpayers for the PIN
numbers, passwords, or similar secret access information for their
credit card, bank, or other financial accounts.
Please be cautious of unsolicited e-mails. It is recommended not to
open e-mails from unknown senders because they often contain viruses or
other malicious software. It is also recommended to avoid clicking
links in e-mails received from unknown senders as this is a popular
method of directing victims to phishing websites.
If you have received an e-mail similar to this, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.
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