Possible Email scam

[taxea]

Is anyone getting emails like this with a link to GoogleDrive?:

Hello,
Please view my 2014 Tax Refund document i uploaded for you using GoogleDrive.

I suspect these are spam. I have received 3 so far. I have not been able to verify whether they are valid.

[FEDUKE404]

Think VIRUS

Is anyone getting emails like this with a link to GoogleDrive?:

Hello,
Please view my 2014 Tax Refund document i uploaded for you using GoogleDrive.

I suspect these are spam. I have received 3 so far. I have not been able to verify whether they are valid.

Probability of being fraudulent is at least 99% .

A friend received (and "sent") a similar email regarding pictures in Dropbox. It even had her name in the text! She clicked on the link and her real email account was erased but all of her (prior) contacts started receiving some. . .not very nice things from "her." (It was an AOL account, which may have been a contributing factor.)

You can hover over the link to see what it shows?

What kind of antivirus stuff are you using? FWIW, I later went looking around and "my friend's" email message was automatically trapped/blocked and it NEVER made it to my email inbox, much less my personal "junk" folder.

FE

[taxea]

I looked at the entire email header but don't know how to read it or research it. I didn't open the link because I do know better and I pdf'd the email then deleted it. I just wondered if anyone else has been receiving them. I guess I will research how to contact Google to report it and to see whether they can tell me anything.

[FEDUKE404]

info

I looked at the entire email header but don't know how to read it or research it. I didn't open the link because I do know better and I pdf'd the email then deleted it. I just wondered if anyone else has been receiving them. I guess I will research how to contact Google to report it and to see whether they can tell me anything.

The header requires a computer expert. But you can hover your pointer/mouse over the link (without clicking!!) to view its location.

Meanwhile, https://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts

FE

[Lion]

I've been seeing reports since the fall of emails to preparers implying the sender is a new client and please upload my W-2 blah blah blah. Also, there are some out there telling preparers they have to update their e-Services info. We're being targeted now as preparers, and not just tax payers. What did they say on that old police show? "Be careful out there!"

https://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing is a good article.

Report phishing communications to phishing@irs.gov

[FEDUKE404]

Targets of phishing efforts

I've been seeing reports since the fall of emails to preparers implying the sender is a new client and please upload my W-2 blah blah blah. Also, there are some out there telling preparers they have to update their e-Services info. We're being targeted now as preparers, and not just tax payers. What did they say on that old police show? "Be careful out there!"

https://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing is a good article.

Report phishing communications to phishing@irs.gov

My unedumacated guess is that "we" are not being targeted as tax professionals per se. (We get enough junk emails from all the tax vendors out there! ) I've had plenty of clients and friends to receive similar emails where all they need to do is "click on this link." At this time of year "tax refund" as a topic perhaps attracts more potential victims? But I've seen "new pictures" and "gift card from Target" and "package cannot be delivered by FedEx" and who knows what else email subjects. They all are brief, computer-generated messages with nothing more personal than (perhaps) the first name of the "receiver" and the victim's email address.

If you have not already done so recently, I might recommend you visit the "junk" folder maintained in cyberspace by your email provider and look around. Aside from the usual "meet singles" and "breast enhancers" stuff, you might be surprised to see . . .what you NEVER see! On a more serious note, it is also worth checking there perhaps once a month to be sure a non-spam email did not somehow get detoured. It doesn't happen often, but it does! Such things as "you" or "free" or "won" or "check this out" in the subject of the email can easily send the message to the holding corner. I've learned the hard way such things can happen. Instead of sending an email titled "Tax question from FE" I will send something like "Information needed by Fred."

FE

[taxea]

thank you one and all

[JohnH]

That's interesting. I think I may try "Information Needed by Fred" in a few cases. With some of my clients, "Information Needed by John" doesn't get a timely response, so I've been looking for another way to phrase it.