'Phishing' scams can clean out your bank accounts

Mention the words Internal, Revenue and Service, and a lot of folks bristle.

The federal agency is charged with collecting taxes, an activity that has rankled people all the way back to the early days of the Bible.

But the Wise County Sheriff’s Office is pointing out how the IRS is trying to help people resist a new "phishing" scam. 

Phishing involves Internet criminals who send e-mail messages to trick unsuspecting people into release personal and financial information that is used to steal money.

Sgt. Debbie Denney, a sheriff's spokeswoman, said her agency was alerted by a bank in Wise County to a phishing scheme.

It's easy to see why IRS is concerned; fraudsters are contacting people via the Internet and claiming to be IRS officials who are seeking information on personal bank accounts to directly deposit tax refunds.

Denney and IRS say it's a scam.

"As always, we urge citizens not to give personal information of any kind to anyone on the phone or the Internet," Denney said in a news release. "In fact, when you filed for your taxes, you should have already made arrangements as to how you w anted to receive your refund.

"You can go Online to the IRS Website to verify any information claiming quicker refunds."

Click here to see the IRS information.

-- Bill Miller

Comments

[Barbara]

I received one of these scams on my email and would like to forward it to someone to report it, preferably the real IRS. I also got a email supposedly from my bank asking all of my personal information. I turned that one over to my bank and they are looking into it.