Let's talk scams.

Got this in my email today. (Click to embiggify if necessary.)

Um, sure. Why exactly is the Canadian government gonna give me a refund? A refund of what, exactly? I have never paid Canadian taxes in my life. Maybe they just like me...

* * * * *

But the very best, most well-done, unscrupulous scam email I have ever gotten came last month. Those Nigerians who want my help to get their father's millions out of the country could take a lesson from these guys.

Now, I am generally not dumb enough to click on a questionable link, but I was so (kat) curious (and foolhardy) that I relied on the Mac-ness of my computer, plus its meagre virus protection, to protect me. I opened the attachment and got this:

If you have ever visited the IRS website (www.irs.gov, from which the above purports to come), you will recognize the format of the above page. It is similar enough to fool almost anyone.

Until you read what they want you to give them. "Social Security Number", "Mother Maiden Name", and complete credit card information? I don't think so.

 

Comments

[Norma]

Holy crap.

[Kym]

You can fool some of the people some of the time. . . but Kat? Never! (Scam artists just never cease to amaze me!)

[Gillian]

It is frightening, and it's also frightening that some people will be taken in by it.

[linda-kay]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that! I can't believe how close to the real documents that it looks. It is enough to fool a whole lot of people, especially now that so many of us e-file.

[Yarnhog (Suzanne)]

Wow. That's convincing. I like to think I wouldn't have fallen for it, but I'm not sure.

[Cindy G]

Scary!

[Vicki]

Wow. Any clues in the web address? IRS would be .gov -- and a page asking for this type of info would definitely be an https. Scary.

[Lucia]

I'd heard about this one but never got one. It is pretty clever. Not clever enough, of course.

[Cookie]

Wow... That's just... wow.

[cursingmama]

Holy Batman & Robin! That is nuts