IRS warns taxpayers of the wildfire donations scams - 11/08/2007
The Internal Revenue Service warns taxpayers to be wary about the new e-mail scam allegedly from the IRS and U.S. government asking for donations for the victims of the California wildfires.
To appear authentic, the fraudulent e-mails quoted a member of the actual California General Assembly in the spam mail. The e-mails request recipients to click on a link to connect to the IRS Website, which in fact is a spoof site.
John Fougere, of the Missouri State Attorney General’s, office said that con artists feasting on the generosity of Missourians after natural disasters such as Katrina and the '93 floods are quiet common. Fougere urges consumers to look for warning signs of fraud that can help prevent them from becoming a victim of such scams.
Some of the warning signs that consumers should look out for include: unsolicited e-mails or requests for your credit card number . Since, most reputable charities do not ask for donations through e-mail.
If consumers receive an email asking for donations, officials ask consumers to report it to help them end this donation e-mail scam. The Missouri State Attorney General’s office consumer fraud hotline can be reached at 1-800-392-8222. Consumers can also forward the e-mail to an electronic mail box, phishing@irs.gov, and follow instructions found on the IRS Web site, IRS.gov, to better protect themselves from such scams.
Source: Branson Daily News
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