Got a text about money from the IRS The federal tax agency has identified a spike in IRS-themed text messages, or phishing, that’s aimed at collecting personal information and potentially installing malware on consumers’ devices, the IRS says. In a news release, the IRS warned taxpayers to avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in unsolicited emails, texts or social media posts claiming to be from the agency. “This is phishing on an industrial scale,” Commissioner Chuck Rettig said.
Did I receive a refund?
Scammers have been calling and posing as the IRS to demand that people pay fake tax bills, usually requiring them to pay with prepaid cards or wire transfers. The scammers often threaten to arrest or deport if people don’t pay up, and they use high-pressure sales tactics. They also use bogus payment forms such as iTunes gift cards. The IRS does not accept gift cards or other similar methods for payments, and official government letters requesting payment do not say that you must pay right away.
The IRS also does not call or send email messages requesting financial or personal information, and it never contacts people via text messaging to discuss their taxes or refunds. The agency says that if you receive a text message that claims to be from the IRS, report it. The IRS has a dedicated website to report suspected impersonation scams. Taxpayers should know that legitimate communications from the IRS typically arrive in official-looking envelopes and contain correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
