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  #1  
Old Aug 16, 2007, 07:00 PM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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My husband got the following email the other day. Today, he took a copy of it to the IRS and said he thought it was either a scam or fraud. The IRS person told him "Try both!" PLEASE BEWARE!

Subject: Tax refund
Date: 8/13/2007 11:54:17 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: refund@irs.gov

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $109.30. Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 6-9 days in order to process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please click here

Regards,
Internal Revenue Service


The website the "click here" link took you to was a form that asked for your pin number and social security number. That was our first clue. NEVER give those out unless you know who you are talking to face to face!!
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Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

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  #2  
Old Aug 16, 2007, 07:05 PM
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sabby sabby is offline
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Location: Southwest of Northeast
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Amazing how blatant they have become with this stuff. Unfortunately there are poor souls out there who believe everything they read.

NO COMPANY that is on the up and up or GOVERNMENT will EVER email you for your pin numbers, social security numbers, credit or debit card numbers or account numbers. No matter whether they say they are updating their files or offering you money.

Thanks so much for the heads up on this one Tomi! Excellent catch and advice!

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Tomi )))))))))))))))))))))))))

WARNING!!!  Scam!

sabby
  #3  
Old Aug 16, 2007, 07:21 PM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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Ain't that the truth about how blatant these scammers are becoming! Jerks probably did make a fortune! The IRS guy that Jerry talked to said it wasn't going unnoticed. I'm sure they've got the FBI on it. YIKES! I wouldn't want to be those people, but I hope they get it but GOOD!
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Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
  #4  
Old Aug 16, 2007, 11:35 PM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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bump
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Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
  #5  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 05:20 AM
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Bethsway Bethsway is offline
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good catch Septmorn...it is so sad there are so many people who try to scam other people..
  #6  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 05:21 AM
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Bethsway Bethsway is offline
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good catch Septmorn...it is so sad there are so many people who try to scam other people..
  #7  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 10:08 AM
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Perna Perna is offline
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Location: Maryland
Posts: 27,289
A good clue is that no government body or bank or other "official" business is ever going to contact you through e-mail, especially "first" before they have sent registered letters, etc. Where did they get your e-mail address? Most people still do not have computers, internet, e-mail addresses! Why would they single "me" out to contact me in that way? I am not "special" or different!

Always go to the official site of an agency/business and look for the e-mail address you have been given to respond to and read about phishing and other problems that entity may be having with spammers/fraud. Use their link on their site to inquire, not some e-mail link you got out of the blue, unexpected:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...155682,00.html
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  #8  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 10:51 AM
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Gemstone Gemstone is offline
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Member Since: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,736
This is so sad that these types of things are out there. I seem to get a new scam in my email every day.
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WARNING!!!  Scam!
  #9  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 12:19 PM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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The sad part of it is, there are so many people out there that would fall for these scams and it's usually the elderly that have the most to lose!

I'm wondering if these people didn't hack into the IRS files because the amount they put in their email is SO CLOSE to the amount the IRS still owes us. WARNING!!!  Scam!
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Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
  #10  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 12:24 PM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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Perna, this email wasn't addressed directly to my husband at all; not his given name and not his screen name. The thing is, too, that the IRS witheld pretty close to the same amount and wonder of wonders, (LOL) the IRS was wrong in witholding it. We've been having communication with the IRS in order to get them to release it. Now how did these scammers know that?? Maybe it was just coincidence, but I'm not banking on that!
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Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
  #11  
Old Aug 17, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Maven Maven is offline
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Location: South Jersey, USA
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According to something I read somewhere recently (how's that for pinpointing accuracy? WARNING!!!  Scam!), most of these scammers are in other countries.

You should always look at where links are going before you "click here" in an email. Even if you know the person it came from, sometimes friends fall for these kinds of things and pass them along.

I'm always getting emails telling me there are problems with my account, for banks and other companies I don't belong to, and never have, LOL!
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