Your Tampa CPA Helps You Avoid Tax-Related Email Scams

Tampa CPAAttempts by email scam artists to defraud the public or steal identities and other personal information have increased over the years, and the use of fraudulent digital communications purported to be from the IRS has been on the rise. This practice is known as “phishing.” The IRS in 2006 began a concerted effort to curb this type of fraud, starting with an education program that emphasizes two important points: The IRS generally does not send unsolicited email to taxpayers; and the IRS does not request financial account security information from taxpayers.

If you receive an email that appears to be from the IRS, allow your Tampa CPA from Reliance Consulting, LLC, to assist you. On the off chance that the communication is, in fact, from the IRS, a certified public accountant from Reliance can offer advice, if needed, and help interpret the message, whatever it may be. Again, chances are good that an unsolicited email from an entity claiming to be the IRS is fraudulent, in which case you should take the following actions:

  • Don’t open attachments, which may contain malicious code that will infect your computer
  • Don’t click on any embedded links, which may contain malicious code or may direct you to a fraudulent website that looks “real”
  • Use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website (www.irs.gov) to determine whether you actually are owed money by the government
  • Forward the email or the website address to the IRS, then delete the email from your inbox and trash file

Since Reliance Consulting was founded in 1984, we have helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies in the Tampa Bay area become more educated about the intricacies of tax planning. Contact us today to learn more about attempts to use the IRS brand to commit email fraud, or for a complimentary financial health checkup.

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