hp737: Treasury Warns Public About E-Mail Scams



	December 14, 2007 hp737 Treasury Warns Public About E-Mail Scams Washington, DC –Treasury has become aware of phony e-mail messages claiming to come from Department officials. For example, these messages, which are unsolicited by the recipients, falsely assert that Treasury is seeking to transfer funds to the recipient of the e-mail or accuse the recipient of tax avoidance or money laundering. These e-mails may request sensitive information from the recipient, supposedly in order to process the bogus transaction. These messages are a hoax designed to trick victims into revealing confidential information. Treasury recommends that recipients not respond to such messages. Treasury does not send unsolicited requests and does not seek personal or financial information from members of the public by e-mail. Anyone who receives an email of this nature should file a complaint at www.ic3.gov. E-mail users should be wary of any unsolicited messages that purport to come from U.S. Government agencies asking them to provide sensitive personal information. The transmission of phony e-mail messages requesting confidential information is a practice known as "phishing." The perpetrator of a "phishing" scam attempts to trick the victim into revealing confidential information, which then is used for purposes of identity theft or other crimes. Members of the public can learn more about protecting themselves from "phishing" and other internet-based threats at OnGuardOnline.gov, a web site created by the Department of Justice in partnership with other federal agencies and the technology industry to help stay safe online. Anyone receiving a solicitation purporting to be from, or otherwise involving the Internal Revenue Service, may report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Hotline P.O. Box 589 Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044-0589 Email: Complaints@tigta.treas.gov Phone: 1-800-366-4484 Fax: 202-927-7018 Solicitations purporting to be from, or otherwise involving the Department or the Secretary of the Treasury, may be reported it to the Treasury Office of Inspector General at: Treasury Hotline Office of Inspector General 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20220 Email: Hotline@oig.treas.gov Phone: 1-800-359-3898 Fax: 202-927-5799 -30-