Fraud Alert: Beware of Email EIN Verification Requests
Oct 1, 2012
Several business attorneys at HBC have recently fielded questions from our corporate clients about emails allegedly from the IRS relating to clients' federal tax identification (EIN) numbers. These emails appear to originate from the IRS and request that recipients “validate” their EIN through an attached hyperlinked website. If you receive one of these emails, delete it and do not click on any links. The IRS will never initiate contact with taxpayers by email regarding tax matters and any email that appears to be from the IRS requesting that a taxpayer click on a link or open an attached file is very likely to be fraudulent.
One version of the suspect email reads as follows:
Dear business owners,
Due to the changes in the taxation policies that have been recently ratified, IRS informs that LLC, C-Corporations and S-Corporations have to validate their EIN in order to confirm their actual status. You have 14-day period in order to examine all the changes and make necessary amendments. We are sorry to cause inconvenience.
For the details please refer to: <>
Sincerely yours,
Margaret Myers
Internal Revenue Service Representative
Please feel free to contact our business attorneys if you have any questions about your federal tax identification number or any other matters related to the organization or operation of your business.