By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Internal Revenue Service is warning that responding to an email from them will result in your data being taken hostage.

The IRS has been warning people and businesses alike of the threat of ransomware, a scam that locks up your data and holds it until a ransom is paid. Now, the scammers are emailing their attacks under the guise of the IRS itself.

Spokesman Michael Devine warned that the newest round of ransomware attacks look as if you’re being contacted by the IRS and the FBI.

“We’re not going to send you an email,” he said. “If the IRS wants to contact you, we’re going to send you a letter in the mail. In this new round of attacks, you don’t even know that your personal or business computer has been taken over until you get an email saying you can’t get into your information.”

If your business happens to fall victim to the attacks, Devine said don’t pay the ransom.

“It will not make it go away,” he said. “And what’s worse, if your system is compromised, the criminals may be able to get into the information of your employees.”

If you do receive an email you suspect is a hacking attempt, forward it to [email protected]. Their technology can track the email’s origins and possibly catch them.