V.A.T. tax refund hoax – Nigerian-style scam victimizes IRS?

November 20, 2010

How many errors can you find with this “notification” I got in e-mail?

UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: REFUND NOTIFICATION

We are glad to inform you that government of United States has ordered the treasury department of the IRS to issue out a refund of $500 to all credit card and credit union account holders on accumulated VAT made on their credit card and credit union account during transaction(s) made with their credit card or account. To proceed with this Refund request, reply this message with your Full Name, Address and Phone number(s) or send your information to notification_electronic@mail.bg.
You will be contacted shortly by IRS Refund Officer after sending your details.

Please note that only candidates with credit card and credit union account are eligible for this VAT refund.


Thank You,
Internal Revenue Service

UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

You could start with the fact that the U.S. does not have a Value Added Tax, and consequently, there can be no VAT refunds.

Other clues it’s a hoax:

  • The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is a division of the Treasury Department, not the other way around as the missive contends
  • “Treasury Department” should be capitalized, but is not in the notice
  • Were there VAT refunds, law would require they be made on all purchases, not just credit card purchases; there is obvious phishing here to get your credit card account number
  • IRS does not send notifications through e-mail nor ask for such information through e-mail
  • An order for a refund could come from Congress, or possibly from the President; if from Congress, the law would be cited; if from the president, the president would take credit
  • There is no personal information contained in the greeting; when IRS sends you money, or asks money from you, they use your name on the form
  • There is no “.gov” address, either in the sending address, nor in the address to which suckers are asked to send their private information; “All IRS.gov Web page addresses begin with, http://www.irs.gov/“
  • If you made a transaction in which the IRS got paid, and you are now owed a refund, the IRS would contact only those who made such a transaction, not a few million “undisclosed recipients” through e-mail

What other clues do you see that this missive is false?

2 Comments | Hoaxes, Scams, Taxes | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell