Oct 26, 2008 6:07 pm US/Eastern
Elaborate Scam Imitates IRS, Promises Refund Check
(CBS)
-
-
The e-mail provides a link where the recipient is asked to type in their social security number and bank account information in order to receive the refund.
CBS
During tough economic times, people are looking for that extra boost to help them get by. A new e-mail scam is trying to exploit that. It's a scam that mentions the IRS in hopes of taking advantage of the victim's pocketbook.
Jeff Bergerson has worked in the tax service industry for years, and during that time he has seen scams of all shapes and sizes.
"This one, I even needed to take a double-take on. This was really elaborate and very authentic-looking," recalled Bergerson.
From phone scams, to mail scams to e-mail scams. But the one that came to his attention most recently may be the most elaborate of them all.
"Here is the IRS logo, just like it shows up on their website," he said.
A client of Bergerson's received the e-mail that claims to be from the IRS. It said he had not claimed more than $600 owed to him as part of the economic stimulus payout. The e-mail provides a link where the recipient is asked to type in their social security number and bank account information in order to receive the refund.
"It did look like the IRS website, the e-mail it came from was an IRS reply-at e-mail, so it looked legitimate there," explained Bergerson.
But upon further review, he knew this e-mail was a fraud. For one thing, the web address for the link wasn't an IRS address. For another, the word "dollars" in the e-mail was misspelled. There is also and obvious giveaway.
"Generally rule number one is the IRS won't contact you via e-mail or through a website. It will almost always be through U.S. Mail," explained Bergerson.
Bergerson is worried that confusion surrounding stimulus payments coupled with tough economic times will give the scam some legs.
"No one really knows exactly what they are entitled too, and the scammers are taking advantage of that," he said.
Bergerson said the link where the e-mail asks for personal information is only accessible for about a day, then the scammers take it down.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Police: Beaver Co. Deaths Apparent Murder-Suicide 36 mins ago
Stumble It!
Comments