Tax season may be over, but that doesn't mean your clients shouldn't still be worried about their returns: the IRS is warning consumers that they may be most vulnerable to identity theft now, particularly through e-mail.
On the IRS's Web site visitors are warned about "phishing"–an identity theft scam in which Internet fraudsters send e-mails to unsuspecting victims luring them into revealing personal and financial information.
Most recently, phony e-mails containing the IRS's logo have attempted to lure victims into the scam by telling them they are due a tax refund.
This year, the IRS has received a number of complaints related to these e-mails. The IRS is reminding taxpayers that as a rule it does not send out unsolicited e-mails and never asks for PIN numbers, passwords, or information relating to credit cards, cell phones, or financial accounts.