Educate Yourself & Your Clients
Educate yourself and your clients about IRS impersonation email scams. Fake IRS Email have become a problem. Right now we all have so much to worry about. The last thing we need are dishonest folks emailing our clients in attempt to steal information and financial resources. So it’s up to us as tax professionals to keep our clients informed so they can protect themselves.
The IRS Does Not Send Unsolicited Email
The United States Treasury Department reminds taxpayers that the IRS does not send unsolicited email. The Internal Revenue Service mails letters for everything! And I mean everything. Absolutely everything.
During this worldwide pandemic, scam artists remain hard at work. In fact, financial fraud has increased during these uncertain times. People are taking advantage of the vast amount of public fear.
Please remember that the Internal Revenue Service will only initiate communication with your clients via regular United States Postal Service mail. They send letters. Unsolicited outgoing email messages are not part of the IRS standard operating procedures. The same goes for state and other federal tax agencies.
Warn Clients About Evolving Phishing Email Scams
The IRS is urging taxpayers to be on the lookout for a surge of evolving phishing emails. Phishing Emails are the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information or data, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details or other sensitive details, by impersonating a trustworthy business or organization that you would normally interact with in a digital communication.
The IRS and its Security Summit partners warned taxpayers and tax professionals back in 2019 about a new IRS impersonation scam campaign spreading nationally via email. This is a never-ending problem. That’s why you can now find most of your information on www.irs.gov always available for scrutiny.
Check the Web Site
One way your clients can protect themselves from these scams is to go directly to the web site in question. Do not utilize the email. These phishing email are generally full of terrifying language about how your assets will be seized unless you respond exactly as they ask. Again, check directly with the web site of the business relationship in question.
Never trust an email without confirming the validity when your finances or rights are concerned. And never provide information in response to an unsolicited email.
