Bellevue, Washington (PRWEB) July 09, 2011
Zabasearch.com, a leading online provider of public records and people search services, urges taxpayers to be aware of a new email scheme, where imposters are sending official looking emails claiming to be from the IRS.
According to a recent report from the Columbus Dispatch, the emails state that tax payments made through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System have been rejected and need to be corrected by clicking on the embedded link and following the instructions. This link, when clicked, leads consumers to a site where they are prompted to download documents or software. When downloaded, this malicious software is used remotely by scammers to gather personal information about the email recipient. Those who fall into this trap are at great risk of identity theft and financial loss.
“(Phishing) is something that is very easy to set up,” says Jon Miller Steiger, Director of the east-central region of the Federal Trade Commission, “You send an email that looks convincing, and you put a link in it that you hope consumers will click on.”
To make it even more difficult to spot the malicious emails, scammers are using sophisticated images and logos that they have copied from corporate or government websites to make their emails appear authentic.
According to the FTC, which collects national data on consumer identity theft and fraud, scams like this are becoming more and more common. The FTC also states that the IRS doesn’t send unsolicited emails to taxpayers about their taxes.
Zabasearch.com urges consumers to use caution when opening unsolicited emails, and offers the following tips to avoid being a victim of identity theft:
