The Internal Revenue Service says some residents have been receiving out-of-the-blue e-mails, claiming to be from the IRS.
IRS officials recommend recipients: do not reply to the message; do not open any attachments because they may contain a malicious code that will infect your computer; do not click on any links; and do not enter any confidential information.
"Scammers use the IRS name or logo to make the message appear authentic so you will respond to it," said Michael Devine with the IRS office in St. Louis. "In reality, it's a scam known as "phishing,' attempting to trick you into revealing your personal and financial information."
Devine stressed that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by e-mail and anyone who receives a suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS should forward it to [email protected].
He said if you receive an unexpected call, fax or letter from someone claiming to be from the IRS asking about your taxes, you should call the IRS at 800-829-1040.