No COLA? Crooks Promise Help

And one more scam

Another tax scam making the rounds this summer is a throwback to one from last fall. Here's how it works:

You receive an email that appears to be from the IRS, informing you that an income tax payment you made through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System was rejected.

In its new version, the email has been tweaked to appear more authentic. But like its predecessor, it provides a link promising more details. If you click on the link, your computer downloads rogue software that can provide scammers with your personal and financial information already stored on your computer.

As with any unsolicited email that claims to be from the IRS, you should delete it without clicking on any links.

Also of interest: Virus protection scam to gain access to your computer. >>

Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life, published by AARP Books/Sterling.