IRS Detects Attack on Electronic Filing PIN App

The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday evening that it recently identified and halted an automated attack upon its Electronic Filing PIN application on IRS.gov.

Using personal data stolen elsewhere outside the IRS, identity thieves used malware in an attempt to generate E-file PINs for stolen Social Security Numbers, according to the IRS. The E-file PIN is used in some instances to electronically file a tax return.

Based on its review, the IRS identified unauthorized attempts involving approximately 464,000 unique SSNs, of which 101,000 SSNs were used to successfully access an E-file PIN. Read More