Americans now have another reason to dread the tax season, following a
warning from the
US
Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) of phishing attacks targeting the
Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
The IRS, which processes all federal income taxes, has become the target of
new phishing scams that claim to offer tax refunds.
Recipients are asked to enter personal information into an online form which
can then be used by identity thieves.
US-CERT said that the IRS does not solicit refund or penalty information by
email, and that users should report suspicious emails to
OnGuard
Online, a web-safety programme involving several federal organisations.
Government sites have been largely ignored by phishers, who favour e-commerce
hubs such as eBay and
PayPal and large regional
banks.
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