Identity Theft—New Phishing Scam Targets Hotmail Accounts

The IRS is warning taxpayers and tax practitioners about a new email scam targeting Hotmail users. The subject line of the phishing email reads: "Internal Revenue Service Email No. XXXX / We're processing your request soon / TXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX." The message prompts recipients to sign in to a fake Microsoft page, which asks for personal and financial information. To date, the IRS has received over 900 complaints about this new phishing scheme. The IRS reminds taxpayers that it generally doesn't initiate contact by email to request personal or financial information. Those receiving the email should forward it to  phishing@irs.gov  and then delete it.