If you receive an email from "tax refunds @ irs.gov," delete that email immediately. According to the IRS, this is a scam designed to trick consumers into revealing their personal and financial information. IRS does not email taxpayers about refunds or other confidential tax information. Additionally, you can call the IRS to discuss missing tax refunds and other matters. The IRS' toll-free number is 1-800-829-1040. The IRS warns taxpayers:

The bogus e-mail, which claims to come from “tax refunds@irs.gov,” tells the recipient that he or she is eligible to receive a tax refund for a given amount. It then says that, to access a form for the tax refund, the recipient must use a link contained in the e-mail. The link then asks for the personal and financial information.

The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information via unsolicited e-mail. Additionally, taxpayers do not have to complete a special form to obtain a refund.

Protect your confidential information when using the Internet. Here's some privacy-protection tips:

• Tax Information is Confidential - How to guard your confidential tax data, and demand a strong privacy policy from your tax preparer.
• Phishing Scams - How to avoid scams that invade your privacy.
• Ten Tips to Prevent Identity Theft - How to protect your identity and personal data when surfing the Net.
• IRS Warns of e-Mail Scam about Tax Refunds - straight talk from the IRS about this scam.