IRS Text Message Scam – Watch Out!
The image shown is a text message sent to millions of American cell phones. It begins with the words “IRS Government”. The message goes on to state that:
“The system detects an error in the calculation of your tax
please complete the data for a tax refund.”
BEWARE of text messages like this. Don’t open the link. This is a scammer’s attempt to steal your identity.
Unfortunately, a lot of people have already been tricked by similar scams. These false messages offer you access to:
- Bigger refunds
- Correction of refund processing
- Some government “freebie”
They offer something that everyone wants, giving more money and/or less trouble.
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They offer something that everyone wants, having more money and less trouble. Unfortunately, among those more easily fooled are people with little experience in tax return filing, electronic messaging, and/or government communications. Especially victimized are:
- Students and people under age 21
- Retirees and those over age 55
- Those not fluent in written English
- Low-income earners
How Do You Protect Yourself?
Here is some guidance to greatly avoid becoming a victim of identity theft:
- The IRS will mostly communicate through regular mail. The IRS does not, and will never make the first communication with you by text message, by email, and never by any social media. This is especially true as related to an amount due or a tax refund.
- For messages claiming to be from the IRS, please DO NOT click or open any link shown on unsolicited messages, emails, etc. These could possibly load viruses, spyware, or some other form of dangerous “malware”.
- Be cautious of IRS-related texts, emails, and other messages that appear to be from people that you know. This also applies to social media “friends”. Instead, always use another method of communication to verify the sender’s identity.
- You can always report any message believed to be a scam by sending a copy of the message to phishing@irs.gov. Whenever possible, your reporting should include as much data as possible. This might be the phone number caller ID, email address, date and time of the communication, and the number that received the message. Also include your time zone.
- Never give your personal information to a caller claiming to be from the IRS. Just don’t do it.