The National Automobile Dealers Association relayed a warning from the Internal Revenue Service about the latest tax-related activities generated by unscrupulous entities on the Internet.

The IRS warned all e-services users to beware of a new phishing scam that tries to trick tax professionals into “signing” a new e-Services user agreement. The phishing scam seeks to steal passwords and data.

Officials explained the scam email claims to be from “e-Services Registration” and uses “Important Update about Your e-Services Account” in the subject line. It states, in part, “We are rolling out a new user agreement and all registered users must accept its revised terms to have access to e-Services and its products.” It asks the individual to review and accept the agreement but takes them to a fake site instead.

NADA suggested that all tax professionals should be aware that as e-Services begins its move later this month to Secure Access authentication and its two-factor protections, cybercriminals likely will make last-ditch efforts to steal passwords and data prior to the transition.

“As the IRS has warned over the past few years, these sophisticated schemes are adaptive in nature, and everyone should be cautious before clicking on a link or entering sensitive personal information,” NADA said.

IRS commissioner John Koskinen added, “These scams evolve over time and adjust to reflect events in the news, but they all typically are variations on a familiar theme. Recognizing these schemes and taking some simple steps can protect taxpayers against these con artists.”