Anyone Else Get One Of These Emails?

[kcjenkins]

 USA IRS Agency          

 

After 2014 finish annual calculations of your fiscal activity, 
 we have determined that you are  eligible to receive a tax return of
 344.17 USD. Please submit the tax return request by having your tax
 refund sent to your bank account in due time.

 

 

LINK REMOVED

 

 Follow the instructions on your screen.

 If you have already confirmed your information then please 
 disregard this message.

 

 ©  IRS Copyright     2  0  1  4  

[mcb39]

They are asking you to let some Malware in.  Of course, you know that.  I no longer click on any links, even if they are from the best of the best of friends.

[Pacun]

Don't post the links. What they want if people to request a refund to be directly "deposited" to their bank account. In reality, all they need is their bank info.

[Jack from Ohio]

KC, remove the link...

[kcjenkins]

DONE, although I know for a fact you are all too smart to click on it.  

[SaraEA]

Today we had a call from a third client in less than a week who got a call from the IRS (caller ID spoofed).  They are told they owe big bucks and will be arrested if they don't pay that day with a prepaid debit card.  If they don't bite, next call comes from the local police dept (ID also spoofed).  Last week a client had already sent her spouse to the bank to withdraw $10k before she came to see us about what could possibly be wrong with her prior returns.  Today's client called about her dad who is an elderly man living on Social Security who hasn't filed in years.  The newspaper had an article this weekend from a local police department that has recently fielded a dozen such calls.  The emails scams are less frightening to the recipients but certainly more prevalent.

 

I'm glad these clients contacted us before they paid up.  I am really scared for how many others who didn't think to talk to us first.

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I had an old client call and ask me today about an IRS phone call. I told him to call the normal toll free number to see if they could tell him anything. In his case, it may have been the IRS, but since he is elderly, it could easily have been a phony call.

[taxxcpa]

It mentions a tax "return" not a "refund."  Also the "return" is in USD rather than pesos or Euros, since, otherwise, you might wonder what currency the IRS was going to pay you in.

 

I get a sneaking suspicion the IRS must have outsourced some work to Afganistan.

[Lion EA]

Not IRS, but this morning hubby got an email from a professional colleague (hacked email account) saying he was in the Ukraine (!) and had his bag stolen and needs funds to get a passport and leave the country.  Lots of detail, several weeks to get funds sent over, so just needs a short-term loan to get home and repay hubby, etc.  Of course, hubby is savvy and deleted and is looking for an alternate email or phone to let his colleague know he was hacked.  Church music director, so I'm afraid some elderly parishioners &/or elderly organists might bite.

[Pacun]

I like the last sentence on the email that reads "If you were stupid enough already and provided us with you bank information, please disregard this email because you will overwork our server and we might lose any other potential stupid trying to be robbed".

[jasdlm]

I have had several clients receive the email.  I have also had 2 clients receive very threatening phone calls wanting them to obtain a prepaid debit card and pay over the phone immediately or risk being deported (they are here legally), have their jobs terminated (they work for the State), etc.  Obviously a scam, but really freaking the clients out.  Both clients have called (smart clients - one foreign and one American) really dismayed.