ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERT

Be aware of tax season IRS imposters

LITTLE ROCK — Tax season is in full swing and scammers are posing as Internal Revenue Service agents and sending emails with fake tax bills and transcripts to Arkansans, according to a news release from the Arkansas attorney general’s office.

These malicious emails often include an attachment that is not a document from the IRS but rather something harmful that will infect the user’s computer with vicious malware once it is opened. The email may even threaten Arkansans with arrest if payment is not received immediately using a gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer.

“The IRS will never send unsolicited emails or accept payment from a prepaid gift card or wire transfer,” Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in the release. “This scam to dupe Arkansans out of their hard-earned money, or steal their personal information, is just one more shameful attempt by criminals to line their own pockets.”

The attorney general offered the following tips for anyone who receives an email from someone claiming to be from the IRS:

• Do not reply to the email.

• Do not open any attachments which can contain malicious code that may infect computers or mobile phones.

• Do not click on any links.

• Delete the original email. Consumers who receive this scam via email should forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

For more information and tips to avoid scams and other consumer-related issues, call the attorney general’s office at

800-482-8982 or consumer@ arkansasag.gov, or visit http://www.ArkansasAG.gov or facebook.com/AGLeslieRutledge.