Politics & Government

IRS Warns of Scams as 2014 Tax Season Nears

Phishing and other scams become common around this time of year. The tax season starts Jan. 31.

As the Jan. 31 start of this year’s tax season approaches, federal officials are urging taxpayers to be aware of scams that use the IRS name.

In a press release Thursday, the federal agency published an informational YouTube video (see above) and warned about unexpected communications through from purported IRS officials.

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“The IRS encourages taxpayers to be on the lookout for phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure,” the press release said.

“The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.”

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