The deadline for filing federal (and many state) tax returns is just a few weeks away, so the level of scam e-mail messages claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service are likely to increase in the coming days. Remember, the I.R.S. does not initially contact taxpayers by e-mail or text message to request PIN codes, Social Security numbers or other financial data. Do not click on any Web links or open attachments included with these types of messages because you could inadvertently install malicious software on the computer. You can report suspicious mail by forwarding the messages to phishing@irs.gov and the agency’s site has a page with additional safety information.
