The U.S. Internal Revenue Service issued an alert to taxpayers about a new phishing scam that uses fraudulent emails posing as IRS communications to direct American taxpayers to download malware. With subject lines such as “Automatic Income Tax Reminder” or “Electronic Tax Return Reminder,” the emails allege that there is an issue with the target’s tax account, return, or refund. The target is given a temporary password and instructed to use it to access their file on a phony IRS webpage. In reality, using the password downloads a malicious file onto the victim’s computer. The agency’s release reminds taxpayers that the IRS will never initiate contact through email or text, generally sending correspondence through the mail instead.
