Last weeks headlines included a resurfacing of an IRS Phishing Scam, in particular an email notice CP2000 promising recipients refunds on un/ under-reported income. Needless to say these notices were not from the IRS, they were false attempts to collect personal information from the recipients. Like their predecessors, this email (example included) contained a link promising to provide details on the income and how to collect via an online form. This of course was simply a way to collect the recipient’s personal and financial information.
I have to applaud the IRS because their site includes easy-to-find links to their privacy policy on their home page, they include helpful information on what recipients should expect and details on how to report scams. They immediately detail that they don’t request personal information, PIN numbers or financial information via email. They also detail prefixes for all IRS webpages to help aid in the identification of fraudulent sites.
As a marketer with an established email program, you should consider the protection of your recipients – is it easy for them to report a phishing scam to you? Would the average user be able to identify your legitimate message over a fake one? Take precaution, protect your brand and have a plan in place to address fraud against your brand when it is reported.
