If you receive an e-mail that claims to be from the IRS but seems suspicious, you should report it to the Internal Revenue Service's electronic mailbox — phishing@irs.gov.

Taxpayers should be on the lookout for scam e-mails aimed at tricking the recipient into disclosing personal and financial information that could be used for identity theft. There's been a recent increase in such scams.

"The IRS does not send out unsolicited e-mails asking for personal information," including personal identification (PIN) numbers, passwords or secret access information for credit-card or financial accounts, said IRS Commissioner Mark Everson.

You can report suspected bogus e-mails by forwarding a copy of the e-mail to the IRS for investigation. Instructions on how to properly submit the message is online at www.irs.gov. The agency says it will not be able to reply to reports but will try to track down the origin of suspicious e-mails.

The phishing@irs.gov mailbox, however, is only for suspicious e-mails, and not for general taxpayer contact or inquiries.

Transportation open house

The next Seattle Transportation Department open house to discuss the city's transportation priorities is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at Olympic View Elementary School, 504 N.E. 95th St. The session is for a public discussion of transportation issues.

The topic also will be the focus of open houses at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at West Seattle High School, 3000 California Ave. S.W., and at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday at Ballard High School, 1418 N.W. 65th St.

Getting around

Northbound traffic on Aurora Avenue North will be down to one lane for several hours a day for the next five to six weeks as a result of repairs to a 10-inch sewer line at the base of the south slopes of Queen Anne Hill.

King Construction, a contractor for Seattle Public Utilities, is performing an emergency repair on sections of the sewer main along Aurora between Comstock and Galer streets. Dust, noise and increased traffic will be prevalent.

Work started yesterday, causing major backups for northbound traffic, as far south as the north end of downtown Seattle.

The work is not expected to affect southbound traffic, a Seattle Transportation Department spokeswoman said.

Crews are expected to be working from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, with no work scheduled on weekends.

A utilities spokesman said the work includes removing roadway pavement, excavating and replacing the sewer line, then repaving the street.

The city Transportation Department expects traffic to be affected starting at Mercer Street. The northbound curb lane on Aurora will remain closed throughout the duration of the work. One lane is expected to be open at all times.

Volunteers wanted

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is recruiting young adults, 18 to 29, to serve on more than a dozen city boards and commissions, including the Human Rights Commission, Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities and the Arts Commission, this fall.

The mayor's program, Get Engaged, aims to give young adults a voice in city government. The unpaid appointments are for one-year terms, and are limited to city residents.

Information is online at www.collaborateseattle.org, or call Get Engaged program director Naceem Navidi at 206-382-5005, or e-mail nnavidi@mc.seattleymca.org. The application deadline is May 9.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@ seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.

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