IRS WARNING

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning about a new “tax transcript” scam. In the scam, taxpayers are tricked into opening emails that look like they are from the IRS—but they potentially carry malware. Here’s what you need to know.

In the past few weeks, taxpayers have received emails pretending to be from “IRS Online.” The scam email carries an attachment labeled “Tax Account Transcript” or something similar, and the subject line uses some variation of the phrase “tax transcript.”

Tax transcripts, which are summaries of your tax records and history, are available online, and taxpayers do need access to an email account to register with the IRS. However, the IRS reminds taxpayers it does not send unsolicited emails to the public, and the agency would not email a sensitive document such as a tax transcript.

Emotet MALWARE

The malware is known to the IRS. Known as Emotet, the malware generally poses as specific banks and financial institutions to trick people into opening infected documents. According to the IRS, “scores” of Emotet emails were forwarded to phishing@irs.gov.

CALL IRS at 800.829.1040

If you receive a suspicious letter or call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, do not give out any information. Call the IRS directly at 1.800.829.1040 to discuss your specific situation.

Don’t fall for the tricks. Keep your personal information safe by remaining alert. When in doubt, assume it’s a scam. For tips on protecting yourself from identity-theft-related tax fraud