Scam Alert: 4 Red Flags Mark a Fake Obamacare Tax Bill

It looks like scam artists are getting an early start this year and using Obamacare to get your attention. The IRS has sent us word to watch out for fake emails claiming to contain an IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act.

Scammers are sending a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year 2015, according to officials. This type of notice can be scary enough because it basically states that the IRS has found an error on your tax return, which may involve income discrepancies, credits and/or deductions. For example, income reported from your employer doesn't match the income reported on your tax return.

Criminals are capitalizing on that anxiety to try to access your personal financial information. This scam involves an email that includes the fake CP2000 as an attachment. Normally, this form is mailed and never sent as part of an email to taxpayers.

Here's what you need to watch for:

1. These notices are being sent electronically, even though the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or through social media platforms.
2. The CP 2000 notices appear to be issued from an Austin, Texas address. The fraudulent notice includes a payment request that taxpayers mail a check made out to "I.R.S." to the "Austin Processing Center" at a Post Office Box address. This is in addition to a "payment" link within the email itself.
3. The underreported issue is related to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), requesting information regarding 2014 coverage
4. The payment voucher lists the letter number as 105C.

A real CP2000 form comes with extensive instructions about what to do if you agree or disagree that additional tax is owed. It also requests that a check be made out to "United States Treasury," if you agree that you owe additional tax. Or, if taxpayers are unable to pay, it provides instructions for payment options such as installment payments.

If you have questions, call the IRS phone number in the upper right-hand corner of the notice. Be sure to have a copy of your tax return and the notice with you and it's always wise to get a tax advisor to help you out on this.

In the meantime, if you get one of these blatantly fraudulent emails, forward it to phishing@irs.gov and then delete it from your email account.

Never open an attachment or click on a link within an email sent by sources you don't know.

As we continue to fight fraud in the tax industry, the more we can get the word out on these new scams, the less damage these criminals can do to your pocketbook.