(Chelsea Update would like to thank Tammie Colling, crime prevention/community relations from the Northfield Police Department, for the information in this story.)
With tax filing day, April 15, looming, don’t become a victim and fall prey to pressure and what appears to be contact from the IRS.
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. Neither will the IRS contact you via text messages or social media.
Per the IRS website, “Do not fall for phone and phishing scams that use the IRS as a lure.”
Thieves continue to represent themselves as an agent of the IRS, offering bogus refunds or threatening payment for unpaid taxes.
The IRS does not ask for PIN’s, passwords or confidential information on credit card or bank accounts.
If you get an unexpected email, do not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, the IRS is requesting that you forward the email to [email protected].
Again, never give personal information over the phone unless you initiate the call and/or are sure of the recipient.
