As a rule, the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails to taxpayers, though on occasion some taxpayers might receive newsletters or announcements of upcoming IRS-sponsored events based on their membership in professional tax organizations. However, the IRS does not send unsolicited, tax-account related e-mails to taxpayers.

For security and other reasons, the IRS never asks for personal and financial information via e-mail. Additionally, the IRS never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Since the IRS rarely contacts taxpayers via e-mail, and never about their tax accounts, taxpayers should be cautious about any e-mails that claim to come from the IRS.

Recent Phishing Examples: