Scamster dance: Don't fall for "tax rebate" hoax

An economic stimulus package proposing tax rebates for most Americans hasn't yet been signed, but scam artists already are using it to try to separate us from our money.

The IRS reported a new scam today, in which consumers get a phone call from someone identifying himself as an IRS employee. The caller tells the targeted victim that he is eligible for a sizable rebate for filing his taxes early and asks for the victim's bank account information for direct deposit of the rebate. Without direct deposit, the caller says, there will be no rebate.

It's a hoax. The economic stimulus package hasn't been signed, and process for distributing the rebates has not yet been finalized.  And besides, the IRS would never contact a citizen that way or require direct deposit for a rebate. If you follow through on this scam, you risk being robbed of your money and your identity.

In another scam—a first, according to the IRS—citizens get e-mails addressing them by name and suggesting they're candidates for tax audits. The e-mail instructs recipients to click on links and fill in account information--data that thieves can then use for identity theft.

Don't fall for this one, either. The IRS says it doesn't send unsolicited, tax-account-related e-mail to any taxpayer.

                                                                       ********************

If you're wondering what you will get from the economic stimulus package, check this blog regularly. We'll update you on your due—and advise you on sensible ways to use it—as soon as the bill is signed.

--Tobie Stanger