IRS, Tax Audit E-mail Hoax - Scam Alert AARP Bulletin Scams & Fraud

Tax Audit E-mail Hoax

IRS never sends audit notices by e-mail

It’s bad news any time you get an audit notice from the . But it could be even worse if you’re notified by e-mail—because that e-mail is a fraud. The perpetrators of these messages want to trick you into revealing your financial information by alerting you that you’re about to be audited. Unlike most that send out hundreds of thousands of e-mails aimed at wangling personal information from potential victims, this ruse is personalized to get your attention: The message may address you by name. “The name in the text of the message lends it more legitimacy,” says IRS spokesperson Michelle Lamishaw. “This is something we normally haven’t seen in other e-mail scams.” And that has the IRS concerned because people tend to get nervous about IRS audits, prompting recipients to follow directions in the e-mail and leading to identity theft. The e-mail tells you to click on a link to complete forms needed for the audit. The forms ask for personal information, such as your Social Security number, and financial data such as bank account numbers. Even if you don’t fill out the forms, merely clicking on the link can download a malicious code on a computer, giving crooks access to important private information. “The IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers notifying them of audits,” Lamishaw says. If you get such an e-mail, forward the complete message to so the agency can investigate. The IRS doesn’t send unsolicited e-mails to taxpayers.

If You Get an E-mail Notice

If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to an IRS site:
Do not reply to the message. Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer. Do not click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious e-mail or and entered confidential information, visit the and enter the search term 'identity theft' for more information and resources to help. If you receive a phone call, fax or letter in the mail from an individual claiming to be from the IRS but you suspect they are not an IRS employee, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to determine if the IRS has a legitimate need to contact you. Report any bogus correspondence. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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