Fake IRS Sites?

Fake IRS Sites?


With the annual US “tax day” of April 15 rapidly approaching, the Internal Revenue Service blasted the owners of several Web sites that advertise tax preparation services। Why? The IRS’ official site uses the URL http://www.irs.gov, while commercial vendors have taken over the .com, .org and .net variants. The IRS feels some taxpayers could become confused, and end up paying unnecessarily for services offered free of charge on the government’s site.

The IRS assertion is not wholly without merit, since many people are accustomed to using ।com when visiting corporate Web sites and may not notice they’re not on a government site। The http://www।irs.com site, while sporting a small disclaimer clearly stating that it is not the government’s Web presence, uses a US flag logo and sports a red, white, and blue motif that could easily trap the unwary. Additionally, the repeated use of the “IRS” acronym is relatively deceptive in some respects, especially since it appears to stand for nothing in particular. One link on the site takes the user to a page of other links, all of which point to private tax preparation companies. By way of contrast, the operators of the http://www.irs.org and http://www.irs.net sites use vastly different design layouts; one clearly states in large type that the site is privately operated and offers a link to the official government site, while the other fails to mention either of these caveats.Is this deceptive practice, or is it a legitimate means of doing business?


In a way, the answer to both questions is yes, but with the qualification that such quasi-deceptive business methods are not confined to Internet marketers. Nearly everyone has received official looking envelopes, often marked with “Official Business,” “Penalty for Private Use,” or other important looking logos, only to open them and discover a sales pitch for a credit card or financial services company. A few go too far, and include paperwork that leads readers to the false conclusion that failure to act will result in legal penalties.
Similarly, quasi legal charity groups operate using both Internet and more traditional contact methods. An elderly relative regularly receives phone calls soliciting money for groups claiming to represent Native Americans, homeless children, disabled persons, and others. I’ve checked into several of these groups, only to find questionable fundraising practices and deceptive techniques. In some cases, no such charity could be found on a list of known, registered groups.
What we’re seeing today is the migration of long-used tactics of deception to an electronic format. Just as chain letters, hoaxes, and urban legends made the transition from hand-written paper to Xerox, then to fax, and finally to e-mail, other questionable practices are following suit. It’s no surprise, but it’s another reason to be careful when using Internet-based resources for personal business. The convenience of electronically submitting official forms far outweighs any potential hazards, but make sure you’re on the right site before you provide any personally identifying data.