IRS email refund offer?-Fiction!

Email Offer of a Refund from the Internal Revenue Service-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor:
The message appears to be from the United Stated Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It says that you are eligible to receive a refund and gives a link for you to click to file a "tax refund request."

The Truth:
This email is not from the Internal Revenue Service and will not generate a tax refund. It started circulating in June, 2006. The link that you're supposed to click does not go to the IRS but to a web site in Taiwan. It's a blatant attempt at collecting personal financial information for committing either credit card fraud or identity theft. When you click the link in the email you are taken to a page that is made to look like it's from the IRS but it's a form that asks you for your Social Security number, your name, a credit/debit card number, the expiration date of the card, the security number for the cars as well as your ATM PIN number!

Updated 6/20/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $63.80. 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