By Stormi O'Donnell
SecureWorld Media

The Internal Revenue Service is no stranger to malicious attacks, and this year the stakes are at an all time high for consumers. The IRS issued a warning after seeing a 400% surge in phishing and malware incidents, this year alone. This is a part of much bigger problem, cyber criminals are getting better and better at making bogus websites and emails look legitimate. Unfortunately, most people are not trained in how to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. 

"This dramatic jump in these scams comes at the busiest time of tax season," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Watch out for fraudsters slipping these official-looking emails into inboxes, trying to confuse people at the very time they work on their taxes. We urge people not to click on these emails."

By The Numbers

• There were 1,026 incidents reported in January, up from 254 from a year earlier.
• The trend continued in February, nearly doubling the reported number of incidents compared to a year ago. In all, 363 incidents were reported from Feb. 1-16, compared to the 201 incidents reported for the entire month of February 2015.
• This year's 1,389 incidents have already topped the 2014 yearly total of 1,361, and they are halfway to matching the 2015 total of 2,748.

If These Emails Show Up in Your Inbox, It's a Red Flag

• Numerous variations about people's tax refund.
• Update your filing details, which can include references to W-2.
• Confirm your personal information.
• Get my IP Pin.
• Get my E-file Pin.
• Order a transcript.
• Complete your tax return information

The number one rule for consumers to remember: It's better to be safe than sorry. If something doesn't sit right, then make a call and confirm that an email is actually legit. It may seem like a pain, but it's better than losing sensitive data.