With tax season around the corner, we thought it would be helpful to do a quick refresher on potential IRS email scams that have been circulating lately.

According to the IRS, here is an example of an email scam to watch out for:

Another recent e-mail scam tells taxpayers that the IRS has
calculated their "fiscal activity" and that they are eligible to
receive a tax refund of a certain amount. Taxpayers receive a page of,
or are sent to, a Web site (titled "Get Your Tax Refund!") that copies
the appearance of the genuine "Where's My Refund?" interactive page on
the genuine IRS Web site. Like the real "Where's My Refund?" page,
taxpayers are asked to enter their SSNs and filing status. However,
the phony Web page asks taxpayers to enter their credit card account
numbers instead of the exact amount of refund as shown on their tax
return, as the real "Where's My Refund?" page does. Moreover, the IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers to advise them of refunds or to request financial information.

The important point to note is the last sentence: The IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers to advise them of refunds or to request financial information.

If you receive an email you believe is fake, you can report it by forwarding it to phishing@irs.gov.

If you are unsure of an email you have received from the IRS, you can call 1-800-366-4484 to verify if it is legitimate.