Waiting for a Refund? IRS Releases Warning of New Scam

It’s tax refund season, and nothing brings out the scammers quite like the confusion and fear of the IRS. As you wait to find out the status of your return and whether you owe or owed money, scammers are waiting.

Dirty Dozen Tax Scams

As taxpayers finish filing their tax returns and wait for their possible tax refunds or bills, many might be targeted by numerous schemes designed to get money from unsuspecting victims.

The IRS is doing its part to combat tax scam campaigns by releasing a list of the most common tax scams, in what they call the “Dirty Dozen Tax Scams.”

Phishing and Smishing Schemes

The latest warning concerns phishing and smishing schemes where cybercriminals try to steal taxpayer information through scam emails or text messages.

“Email and text scams are relentless, and scammers frequently use tax season as a way of tricking people,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “With people anxious to receive the latest information about a refund or other tax issue, scammers will regularly pose as the IRS, a state tax agency, or others in the tax industry in emails and texts. People should be incredibly wary about unexpected messages like this that can be a trap, especially during filing season.”

With refunds starting to come into bank accounts, the Internal Revenue Service today urged everyone to remain vigilant against email and text scams aimed at tricking taxpayers about refunds or tax issues.

Phish or Smish: Avoid Getting Hooked by Either

Taxpayers and tax professionals should be alert to fake communications posing as legitimate organizations in the tax and financial community, including the IRS and states. These messages arrive in the form of unsolicited texts or emails to lure unsuspecting victims into providing valuable personal and financial information that can lead to identity theft. There are two main types:

Phishing

Phishing is an email sent by fraudsters claiming to come from the IRS or another legitimate organization, including state tax organizations or a financial firm. The email lures the victims into the scam through a variety of ruses, such as enticing victims with a phony tax refund or frightening them with false legal/criminal charges for tax fraud.

Smishing

Smishing is a text or smartphone SMS message that uses the same technique as phishing. Scammers often use alarming language like, “Your account has now been put on hold,” or “Unusual Activity Report” with a bogus “Solutions” link to restore the recipient’s account. Unexpected tax refunds are another potential target for scam artists.

Regular Mail Only

The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail and will never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text, or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.

Never Click

Never click on any unsolicited communication claiming to be the IRS, as it may surreptitiously load malware. It may also be a way for malicious hackers to load ransomware that keeps the legitimate user from accessing their system and files.

Individuals should never respond to tax-related phishing or smishing or click on the URL link. Instead, the scams should be reported by sending the email or a copy of the text/SMS as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov. The report should include the caller ID (email or phone number), date, time, and time zone, and the number that received the message.

Report Scams

Taxpayers can also report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The Report Phishing and Online Scams page at IRS.gov provides complete details. The Federal Communications Commission’s Smartphone Security Checker is a useful tool against mobile security threats.

Friends and Family

The IRS also warns taxpayers to be wary of messages that appear to be from friends or family but that is possibly stolen or compromised email or text accounts from someone they know. This remains a popular way to target individuals and tax preparers for a variety of scams. Individuals should verify the identity of the sender by using another communication method; for instance, calling a number they independently know to be accurate, not the number provided in the email or text.

Help Stop Fraud and Scams

As part of the Dirty Dozen awareness effort, the IRS encourages people to report individuals who promote improper and abusive tax schemes as well as tax return preparers who deliberately prepare improper returns.

The Big Scam: 18 Things That Are Really Just One Giant Rip-Off

We’ve compiled a list of 18 things that are secretly just one big scam. Get ready to uncover the truth about some of the biggest rip-offs out there!

The Big Scam: 18 Things That Are Actually Just One Giant Rip-Off

From Ok Boomer To Eye Roll: Gen Z and Millennials Are Sick and Tired of These 28 Boomer Comments

Older generations love giving advice and telling younger people things. While there are plenty of life lessons to learn from older people, young people are tired of hearing some of what boomers have to say.

From OK Boomer To Eye Roll: Gen Z and Millennials Are Sick and Tired of These 28 Boomer Comments

16 Weird Gen Z Trends We Just Don’t Understand

Does anything that Gen-Z does make you feel baffled and confused? Sometimes it feels like the younger folks have a culture where the trends are weird, and the language is different.

16 Weird Gen Z Trends We Just Don’t Understand

19 Annoying Myths People Still Cling Too Despite Evidence to the Contrary

Despite easy access to so much information online, there are some myths people still believe, even though they are easily disproven.

19 Annoying Myths People Still Cling Too Despite Evidence to the Contrary

20 Baffling Things About American Culture That Foreigners Cannot Comprehend

The United States is a famous tourist destination and home to many immigrants. People from different countries and cultures visit the USA or have become permanent residents of this country.

20 Baffling Things About American Culture That Foreigners Cannot Comprehend

This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.