Attorney General Kelly Ayotte today warns New Hampshire consumers of a new Internet scam under the guise of the Internal Revenue Service.

The scam notifies the consumer of a "Tax Refund Online". The cover letter states "after the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of (states amount.) Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to process it. A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline. To access the form for your tax refund, please click here." At the bottom of the page is a © Copyright 2007, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A.

The form utilizes the Internal Revenue Service, United State Department of the Treasury logo and looks very official. The scam artists request your debit card number, expiration date and PIN number.

"Scam artists will go to any length to steal consumers’ money," Attorney General Ayotte said. "I cannot over-emphasize to New Hampshire’s consumers, to educate yourselves on current scams. Call our Consumer Protection Hotline if you have any questions, about emails, telephone calls and/or mail deliveries that do not look right or feel right to you. Chances are very good your intuition is 100% correct. You can reach the hotline by calling 1-888-468-4454 or (603) 271-3641."