Warning, phishing email warning you of your possible fraud

hrafndot

PHISHING WARNING

This is the email I received last night, I know the IRS is an American service but how many people will be frightened by the the warning of fraud application.

From: Internal Revenue Service Notice of Unreported income
Taxpayer ID: (my email address containing my name)-00000174073547US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):

the link quoted my email address!!

Internal Revenue Service

I know MSE'rs are sensible people but how many other people will be caught out or frightened

Hrafndot

tomwakefield

There's an email address in those links (hover over it). If it's yours you probably want to remove it.

hrafndot

I hovered but couldn't see (but that is my incompetence) but have removed the link anyway, thank you Tom

Interestingly, when I went again uinto my post I received an Internet fraud warning via Firefox so there must still be some codes left on this page but I can't find them!!

trisontana

But this email seems to be directed at US citizens. I doubt if many people in this country have dealings with the IRS. More worrying are similar emails purporting to be from the UK tax authorities.

hrafndot

I think that my posting was aimed at those people who are vulnerable and alarmed by this kind of email into panicing and clicking whether the email was about US or UK taxes, fraud or potential rebates.

However, I don't expect that kind of person will be reading MSE forums but what can you do?

I also received the email purporting to be from the UK tax people informing me of a possible rebate which was worrying because it was (almost) plausible.

hrafndot

I have just received this email again, 12 hours later, it seems to have been sent out to a lot of ukonline customers