As income tax filing season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to be aware of scams.

E-mail scams are particularly of concern this time of year. While these e-mails claim to be from the IRS and may appear legitimate, more than likely they are not.

“The IRS will never send an e-mail about your taxes,” IRS spokesperson Dan Boone said.

Anyone who receives a suspicious e-mail claming to be from the IRS should not click on any links or open any attachments. Doing so may harm your computer.

“That can download malicious software on your computer,” Boone said, adding that simply clicking on the e-mail is usually not harmful.

Recipients of suspect e-mails are advised to forward them to the IRS via the official Web site, www.irs.gov. This will assist in tracking scammers who try to steal people’s personal information.

To forward an e-mail properly, just visit the Web site, click on the link titled “Report Phishing” and follow the instructions.