![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redheadedfemmeThe creativity and greed of those seeking to bilk you out of your money knows no bounds. (The latter also applies to those who would fall for such things.) For instance, in my inbox this morning was a purported message from the IRS.
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that
you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $99.23.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 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 your tax refund, please click here
Best Regards,
Internal Revenue Service
(Link removed. When I clicked on the HTML posting tag to delete the link, I discovered something else very interesting: this is the address you're actually going to.
http://hogsinthehole.net/catalog/images/banners/oscommerce.php
It sure as heck ain't irs.gov. But we already knew that.)
When you click on the link, you're taken to a page that looks very much like the actual IRS page, except for the atrocious grammar. For example: Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated. (No, I didn't actually click the link--I have a nifty Firefox add-on called Cooliris Previews, which enables you to look at things without really going there.) Then you're instructed to enter--guess what!--your Social Security number, debit card and PIN number!
If you aren't already suspicious by this point, this request should send red flags tripping like falling dominoes. Unfortunately, people still fall for this. It's sad. But by applying a lick of common sense, you can usually see through these things.
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that
you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $99.23.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 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 your tax refund, please click here
Best Regards,
Internal Revenue Service
(Link removed. When I clicked on the HTML posting tag to delete the link, I discovered something else very interesting: this is the address you're actually going to.
http://hogsinthehole.net/catalog/images/banners/oscommerce.php
It sure as heck ain't irs.gov. But we already knew that.)
When you click on the link, you're taken to a page that looks very much like the actual IRS page, except for the atrocious grammar. For example: Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated. (No, I didn't actually click the link--I have a nifty Firefox add-on called Cooliris Previews, which enables you to look at things without really going there.) Then you're instructed to enter--guess what!--your Social Security number, debit card and PIN number!
If you aren't already suspicious by this point, this request should send red flags tripping like falling dominoes. Unfortunately, people still fall for this. It's sad. But by applying a lick of common sense, you can usually see through these things.
Tags:
