July 2011

The Tax Refund email scam is a story that doesn't stray far from prominence.

On Inland Revenue's home page, these phishing emails have such stamina they are unable to keep from being front page news.

Inland Revenue's concerns are clear in its news story Warning About Suspicious Emails;

"We remind all customers to be very careful about giving out their IRD number and any other personal details. We are aware emails can circulate which attempt to trick recipients into divulging personal information. These emails are known as phishing emails. For example, an email may claim to come from Inland Revenue or a Tax Refund Agency asking you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website. Do not click a link, or reply to an email, fitting this description. Inland Revenue will not send you a hyperlink in an email. Delete the email from your Inbox and Trash folders."

While you may not always have the time (or patience) to log these scams, forwarding them to Inland Revenue can be very satisfying!

Inland Revenue say the information is "greatly appreciated" – you can get extra satisfaction from knowing they just might be able to – "take action to close these phishing sites down."

A typical Tax Refund we have forwarded to Inland Revenue is shown below – don't worry, we have disabled the links! – for more examples, some essential privacy and safety tips and of course how to forward phishing emails you have received, go here:

www.ird.govt.nz/about-this-site/privacy/privacy-phishing.html