LINCOLN – Attorney General Bruning issued a consumer alert for Nebraskans to be wary of emails claiming to be sent from IRS tax agents.
“The IRS does not initiate contact via email. Unsolicited emails sent from those claiming to be IRS agents or affiliated with the IRS are not legitimate, are meant to gather personal data from the recipient and should be deleted immediately,” said Bruning. “Since Monday’s April 15 tax deadline, we have received 5 reports of this scam targeting Nebraskans.”
The scam emails tell recipients they have overpaid their taxes and are able to receive additional tax refund money. The scammers provide a link and instructions on how to get the “over payment” refunded. The link routes recipients to another website where personal information is collected.
Unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS or from an IRS-related entity should be reported to phishing@irs.gov or the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-727-6432 or ago.ne.gov.
Consumer Tips:
Delete unsolicited emails from unknown senders. Never follow links in emails from unknown senders. Protect identifying information like bank account and Social Security numbers. Use trusted telephone numbers when contacting government agencies. Verify government agency information on official websites ending in .gov.
Keep updated on the latest scams and fraud by following the Attorney General’s Office on Twitter @NEConsumer.gov or visit www.ago.ne.gov. For more information, contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 727-6432.
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