I got an official-looking email from the irsIRS Anti-fraud Commission alerting me that someone had tried to pay taxes with my credit card number using the IRS Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, and that attempts had been made to steal money from my bank account. They've blocked my bank account for my protection until I click on a link in the email and provide some personal information to verify my identity. When I saw that the IRS wanted personal information, I got nervous. I never have trusted them! What should I do to get back the access to my account?
This email message isn't a reason to be wary of the IRS. It's a scam, plain and simple. If you read it carefully, you'll see it's full of grammatical errors and misspellings. There is no "IRS Anti-fraud Commission," and we understand it's spelled "Comission" in the email that's been going around. We suggest you call your bank if you haven't done so already, and you'll find that no one has blocked your account.
For the record, the IRS recently said it had seen 104 different scams involving that agency between November 2005 and July 2006. According to the IRS, many of these scams originate outside the U.S., making prosecution and arrest difficult.
The IRS sent out a warning about this "Anti-fraud Comission" scam, and reminded taxpayers that the IRS will never "send out unsolicited e-mails asking for personal information. Don't be taken in by these criminals."
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This email message isn't a reason to be wary of the IRS. It's a scam, plain and simple. If you read it carefully, you'll see it's full of grammatical errors and misspellings. There is no "IRS Anti-fraud Commission," and we understand it's spelled "Comission" in the email that's been going around. We suggest you call your bank if you haven't done so already, and you'll find that no one has blocked your account.
