Press Releases
JK Harris Warns: Taxpayers Beware of Phishing and Email Scams
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Internet is a convenient way to keep updated on current events, keep in touch with friends and family, and pay your bills. That even means making payments to the IRS. However, JK Harris and Company warns the Internet is not always a safe haven for taxpayers, thanks to phishing and email scams.
“We at JK Harris and Company want to make sure taxpayers are aware of these types of scams,” said Josh Baker, Executive Vice President of Client Advocacy for JK Harris, the nation’s largest tax representation firm. “We don’t want to see anyone taken in by these phishing and email scams. These scams can take a person’s personal information, account information and even their whole identity. As such, these types of scams can have a major impact on their credit and their standing with the IRS.”
Email scams consist of a legitimate looking email sent by what appears to be a legitimate source…the IRS, perhaps. For instance, you get an email that looks like it’s from the IRS, and it is requesting you reply to the email with your personal information, such as your Social Security number. So being a taxpayer who doesn’t want trouble with the IRS, you reply to the email with the requested information.
“Unfortunately, you’ve just been scammed,” said Baker. “It’s as easy as that.”
Phishing scams are similar but slightly different. In this instance, you get an email that looks like it came from the IRS, and it requests you click on the provided link, log into your account and re-enter your payment information for your online Installment Agreement.
So, again, wanting to comply with the IRS request, you follow that link to a page that looks just like the page you normally go to, you enter your information, and you hit “submit.”
“Guess what? You were just scammed again,” Baker said.
The best rule of thumb is this. If the link in the email brings you to a page and that web address is not the same as the one you normally go to, do not enter any of your personal information.
“The truth of the matter is the IRS never requests personal information from a taxpayer over the Internet,” advised Baker. “The IRS corresponds with taxpayers via regular mail. Any information the IRS needs will be requested by them in a letter, not an email.”
The best thing to do if you receive one of the above types of emails is to contact the IRS at phishing@irs.gov and report the email immediately. The sooner the IRS knows about the scam, the quicker they can shoot it down.
For more information on email and phishing scams, visit www.irs.gov.
About JK Harris:
JK Harris & Company, LLC, (www.jkharris.com) based in North Charleston, S.C., is the nation's largest tax representation firm and has served over 250,000 customers since its founding in 1997 by John K. Harris. JK Harris consultants are available to meet with consumers in over 325 locations nationwide by appointment only. The company also provides services for student loan debt, fee-based financial planning, tax return preparation, and audit representation.