IRS Warns Taxpayers about Phony Emails: The IRS doesn't contact taxpayers by email to alert them of a pending tax refund, inform them they are eligible for a tax refund, initiate taxpayer communications, or ask for detailed personal and financial information like social security numbers, PIN numbers, passwords, bank or credit card account numbers, or security-related information such as date of birth or mother's maiden name. Taxpayers receiving such messages should not release any personal information. Furthermore, they should not reply to the email, open any attachments, or click on any links to avoid malicious code that can infect their computers. More information on reporting scams and what to do if you've been victimized is available at www.irs.gov , keyword "phishing." News Release IR-2011-113.