IRS Warns of Insurance Tax Form Scam

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Posted by Kim Chen on October 16th, 2017

The IRS has issued an alert on a scam aimed at accessing annuity and life insurance accounts. Cybercriminals seek to obtain the email credentials of tax professionals by impersonating cloud-based storage providers. Emails that appear to come from practitioners are then sent to clients. The messages ask clients to complete a fake IRS insurance form, which is used to contact insurance companies to obtain loans or make account withdrawals. The IRS reminds tax professionals to be aware of phishing emails, free offers, and other common tricks used by scammers. Individuals who receive the insurance tax form scam email should forward it to phishing@irs.gov and then delete it. Individuals who completed and returned the fake tax form should contact their insurance carrier for assistance. News Release IR 2017-171.