Personal Finance: Ask the Experts: IRS warns of tax scams via phony emails, calls and letters

Personal Finance: Ask the Experts

Get advice on money matters from The Bee's Claudia Buck and a panel of local experts

February 25, 2013

IRS warns of tax scams via phony emails, calls and letters

In Sunday's column, we wrote about the late start to IRS tax refunds. But there's another side of tax refunds the IRS wants you to know about: scams.

With tax season underway, it's warning taxpayers to be wary of bogus IRS emails, texts, calls and letters that attempt to trick individuals into giving out personal financial information. Sometimes the scam artists send letters about a supposed refund. Other times they email using a fake website to try and get you to disclose financial information.

To avoid getting scammed, here are some IRS reminders:

1. The IRS never contacts taxpayers by email, texting or social media to request personal or financial information. Nor will it ever ask for private financial information like PIN numbers, passwords or personal access codes to credit card or bank accounts.

2. Be wary of phony IRS websites that may look like the real thing. The official IRS website is www.irs.gov. Do not be fooled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or anything other than .gov.

3. If you get a suspicious email, do not reply or click on any attachments or links. Instead, forward it to: phishing@irs.gov. (Put "suspicious website" in the subject line.)

4. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be an IRS official but you're skeptical, ask for their name or IRS badge number. Contact the IRS at (800) 829-1040 to ask if the IRS has a legitimate need to contact you. Do the same if you get a fax or letter that doesn't seem legitimate.

5. Visit the IRS website for more details on how to report scams and examples of IRS fraud.

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Claudia Buck is The Sacramento Bee's personal finance columnist. Read all her columns here. Contact her at cbuck@sacbee.com

Terri Carpenter

Terri Carpenter offers advice on job hunting, retraining and career counseling. Carpenter works at Sacramento Works Inc., the career and job training arm of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA). With 15 years in the field, she has hands-on experience with everyone from first-time job seekers to career professionals seeking advice after a layoff or looking for a mid-career change. Ask her a question.

Carlena Tapella

Carlena Tapella is a partner in the law firm of Webb & Tapella Law Corp. in Sacramento. The firm specializes in estate planning and probate, such as estates, trusts, conservatorships and litigation. She is a past president of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Estate Planning & Probate Section. Ask her a question.

Kimberly Foss, certified financial planner, is the founder of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville. With nearly 30 years in the financial industry, her clients include women in transition, small business owners, retirees and "pre-retirees." Ask her a question.

Gregory Burke, a CPA and tax expert with John Waddell & Co. in Sacramento since 1984, worked as an IRS tax auditor for six years. He’s a past chairman of the California Society of CPAs. Ask him a question.

Daniel Tahara takes your questions about California taxes. Tahara, a spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board, has 10 years of experience as a tax auditor. Ask him a question.