FTC warns of texts and emails impersonating the IRS claiming tax refunds

The Federal Trade Commission has issued an advisory warning taxpayers about text and email scams that impersonate the IRS or state tax offices and claim recipients are due a tax refund.

According to the advisory, these scams typically begin with a message saying your refund claim has been processed or approved and asking you to click a link to verify identity by entering bank account or Social Security numbers. If you follow the link, scammers can use that information to obtain a legitimate refund, sell the data on the dark web, or commit identity theft.

The FTC advises that the IRS and state tax authorities will never contact you by text, email, or social media. Do not respond to suspicious messages or click links; if you think you are due a refund, visit USA.gov to check. The agency also recommends reporting and deleting such messages, using your phone's junk or spam option, forwarding texts to 7726 (SPAM), and marking emails as spam.

The advisory also highlighted phone and voicemail scams that claim you owe back taxes. The FTC says the IRS's first contact will always be by mail, not by phone; do not provide personal or financial information to unexpected callers. To contact the IRS directly, use official phone numbers listed on IRS.gov, and report scams or fraud through the FTC's reporting page and its How To Avoid Imposter Scams resources.

Key Topics

Tech, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Refund Scams, Back Taxes, Social Security Number