Scam Artist Season for Tax Filing

It's that time of the year again to file your taxes and even more so this year if you want your tax rebate check. This year Tax Scam Artist is working overtime to get your personal information. Here are few things to look out for this year.

The Rebate Scam: Con Artist, posing as IRS agents, are calling up people and telling them that their rebate check is ready but that they need to confirm some of their personal information like their bank account and SSN before the IRS will send out their rebate check. If the person refuses to give out their personal information then they are being told that they won't receive their check.

If you file your 2007 taxes, you will receive your rebate check if you qualify. The IRS is not going to call or email people asking them for their personal information. These tactics are only used by scam artist for identity theft.

Audit Scam: The Con Artist will email people alerting them that they will be audited and provides a link on the email that brings them to a phony IRS site. The site looks official and request personal information to be entered so that Scam Artist can use it for identity theft.

The Tax Software Update Scam: Tax software users are receiving emails from scammers posing as the software company to download updates for their tax program. The email has a link that takes them to a phony site that looks like the real thing. When they click of the software update they download spyware which is capturing all their personal information.

There is even a Tax Law Change scam that is sent out to tax prepares, accounts or anyone else that prepares taxes. The email directs them to a site that looks like the IRS site to click on to download any current tax changes. This site is suspected of malware that is being downloaded and gives the Con Artist remote access to the computer.

The IRS does not send out emails to tax payers requesting any type of information. Any correspondent by the IRS is done through the US mail. You should never click on any email links that is going to request you to log into a site and input personal information that the Con Artist can use to perform identity theft.

You should also be aware of any emails that look like they are from your bank and ask you to click on the link provided to log into your account to update personal information. They take your log in user name and password and then they can do about just anything from cleaning out your checking or savings account to credit card fraud.

If you ever have any doubt about any emails always contact the bank or establishment directly and question them about the email.