Internal Revenue Services (IRS) of the United States and FBI have collectively urged all those working in government agencies to beware of the latest IRS Email Scam which is loaded with Ransomware.
IRS has claimed that a bogus email is on the prowl which is victimizing several staff members working for government agencies by taking computer data as a hostage.
The email is being circulated with a logo of IRS and FBI and is urging recipients to click on a URL which is supposed to be an alleged questionnaire from FBI which discloses details about a new change in the law of tax compliance.
But in reality, the email is a bogus correspondence of email created by hackers who are trying to spread ransomware via email phishing.
Ransomware is a malware which takes data on a computer as a hostage and offers a decryption key when a specific ransom is paid to the hackers.
IRS and FBI are urging customers not to click on such emails and those sent by unknown or suspicious sources. The law enforcement has clearly stated in its alert that emails such as the one specified above have the potential of infecting a computer with malware.
Note 1- Remember, IRS or FBI doesn’t use email services to discuss personal tax issues such as refunds and queries on bill payments. Therefore, people are requested to stay vigilant against these scams in coming years.
Note- 2- If in case, a PC user gets infected with malware, then he/she are being discouraged to pay the ransom as there is no guaranty that the cyber crooks or hackers will return with a decryption key after realizing the payment in crypto currency.
Note 3- All such victims are requested to report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
