WESTSIDE STORY – Scam Artist wants your money!

Story & Photo by Joseph Boyle

Did my photo grab your attention? Let me share some information with you before some scam artist grabs your cash.

I am connected to a confidential and reliable source that informed me about an e-mail scam. I am not talking about one of those urban legends on the Internet that gives you a big warning about the world coming to an end and then urges you to forward the warning to all of your friends. This true-life scam works as follows.

The victim receives a realistic looking IRS form notice via e-mail. The notice is marked urgent and states something like, “Your Federal Tax Payment has been rejected.”

The timing relates well to when you might have filed a Federal Tax form so the communication seems plausible.

The notice encourages you to respond to the e-mail. When you do, the scam artist launches a computer program that mines your computer for personal information that can be used to steal your identity and then commit fraud using your credit profile.

If you do not want to lose your cash, be careful. The IRS never uses e-mail to ask you for private information.

Should you receive such a notice and in case you lack confidence in my warning, print the notice and take it to your local IRS office or tax advisor and ask them if the notice is valid.

Don’t be a victim. Don’t lose your cash.