IRS Warns of Bogus Tax-Refund E-Mail

The Internal Revenue Service has issued an alert about an Internet Phishing scam in which consumers receive an e-mail, purportedly from the IRS, informing them that they are eligible to receive a tax refund for a specific amount. The e-mail, which claims to be from "tax refunds @irs.gov," directs the consumer to a link that requests personal information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card information. IRS officials stress that the agency does not ask for personal identifying or financial information via unsolicited e-mails. Anyone receiving such an e-mail should not open any attachments because they may contain a malicious code that will infect your computer. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to determine whether the agency is trying to contact you about a tax refund.