Scammers claiming to be from “IRS Online” are sending fraudulent email messages about tax transcripts. A transcript is a summary of your tax return. You may need a tax transcript to apply for a loan or for government assistance. To avoid tax transcript scams, learn the real way to get a tax transcript from the IRS. How Tax Transcript Scams Work The scam works this way: you get an email with the words “tax transcripts” in the subject line. The email has an attachment named “Tax Account Transcript” or something similar. Don’t open this attachment. It’s malware known as Emotet that can infect your computer network and steal personal and business information.  The IRS will never call, email, or text you asking for your tax information. It will also not send you a message with an attachment asking you to log in to get a tax transcript or update your profile. How to Protect Yourself and Report Tax Transcript Scams Do:  Delete the email with the attachment, or forward it to phishing@irs.gov if you’re on a personal computer. Notify your technology office staff about the email if you’re on a work computer.  Don’t: Don’t open the infected document because it contains malware. Learn more from the IRS about the tax transcript scam.