If you receive an email claiming to be from the IRS that contains a request for personal information …Then
Do not reply.
Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
Do not click on any links.
If you clicked on links in a suspicious email or phishing website and entered confidential information, visit the IRS identity protection page. Then
Forward the email as-is, to the IRS at [email protected].
After you forward the email and/or header information, delete the original email message you received.
If you discover a website on the Internet that claims to be the IRS but you suspect it is bogus …
Send the URL of the suspicious site to [email protected]. Please add in the subject line of the email, ‘Suspicious website’.
If you receive a phone call or paper letter via mail from an individual claiming to be the IRS but you suspect they are not an IRS employee …
Ask for a call back number and employee badge number.
Contact the IRS to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.
If you receive an unsolicited fax (such as Form W8-BEN) claiming to be from the IRS, requesting personal information…
Contact the IRS to determine if the fax is from the IRS.
If you learn the fax is not from the IRS, please send us the information via email at [email protected]. In the subject line of the email, please type the word ‘FAX’.