We provide this free financial resource to visitors of the Community Room of SeniorSSuperStoreS in an effort to keep baby boomers, seniors and the elderly informed of matters that can affect their lifestyle.

Now that the agony of April 15 is over for another year, we can put the IRS on the "back burner" for awhile? Well, not exactly. There's always the risk of an IRS audit, but now internet scammers are getting in on the action.

As with most Internet scams, this one arrives by email (spam).

Here's how it works: Taxpayers receive a fraudulent email saying that they are under audit. (The email uses the term "IRS e-audit" in the subject line.) The taxpayer is instructed to fill out a questionnaire which supposedly must be completed within 48 hours to avoid penalties and interest. The taxpayers are asked for their social security numbers, bank account numbers and other confidential information.

Very important: The IRS does NOT notify taxpayers about pending audits via email. Nor do they conduct "e-audits." And, the IRS certainly does NOT ask for this kind of confidential, personal information.

In other words, this email is NOT from the IRS.

What to do? Do not provide any of the information requested. The fraudsters are either attempting to steal your money or your identity. If you receive this email, notify the IRS office in your area.