IRS warns taxpayers to beware ID theft scams

It's that time of year, and the AP reports on the latest IRS warning to avoid tax-related phishing scams. A variation in the old email phish, these e-mails are "... purporting to come from the IRS (and) often tell taxpayers they're due a refund and direct them to a false IRS Web site. The e-mail address may include "irs.gov," such as tax-refunds@irs.gov or admin@irs.gov."

If you practice safe computing these phishes aren't too dangerous. Like much real financial email communication, "... The IRS does not communicate with taxpayers via e-mail, nor does the IRS ask people for passwords, personal identification numbers or other secret information about financial accounts."

But with all the problems with privacy violations by tax return preparers, exorbitant interest rates on "instant refunds", and re-sale of your personal information to third parties by the IRS, this is another in a long list of irritants that make April 15 even a bigger pain.