Scammers are much more active this time of the year. Yet another popular scheme comes in the form of sham texts from the IRS, which say that taxpayers qualify to get $1,400 via an Economic Impact Payment. Of course, it’s a scam. The bad actors want personal and financial information.
How to recognise this scam
Among the many schemes included in this “smishing,” these text messages appear to be real and, at times, contain the recipients’ names. These messages will link the victims even to what looks like authentic Internal Revenue Services (IRS) pages so that people provide sensitive information.
These scams are something which has seen a shocking rise; for example, according to reports from the agency, there has been a massive campaign with thousands of IRS-themed messages within days.
IRS contact policy: The IRS does not contact any taxpayer via text or email for personal or financial information. The usual course of its official correspondence is by mail. No unsolicited text or email of this nature from the IRS should be taken at face value.
Ways to identify a scam
Scams are recognized by the presence of one or more of the following warning bells or red flags that indicate fraud:
- Unsolicited communications: Messages that you have not asked to receive such as IRS-related communications stating that you qualify for some type of benefit or threatening you with action if you do not act.
Messages telling you to act immediately and indicating that you may face negative consequences if you don’t. Messages asking for Personal Information, such as your social security number, your bank account or credit card.
- Suspicious links or attachments: These are links that will lead to a website asking for information or even downloading malware into your device.
Prevalence of tax scams
- Tax scams are usually most common during the filing season. These will range from scammers threatening legal action on account of unpaid taxes to promising refunds of larger amounts in exchange for personal information. These usually take advantage of retirees and the general vulnerable population. Each year, the IRS provides a list of common scams that happen, labeled the “Dirty Dozen,” on their website.
Protective measures
To safeguard against such scams:
- Do not respond: Do not respond or click on links in an unsolicited message.
- Verify identity: If unsure whether a message is from the IRS, the IRS suggests calling directly using official numbers published on its website.
- Report phishing: Forward any IRS-related smishing to phishing@irs.gov. Include the caller ID and text of the message.
- Be alert: Be aware of official communications from the IRS and emerging scams that often target the public.
