No, the IRS didn't text or email you – 3 ways to protect yourself from scams

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Messages that claim you’re due a tax refund are scams.
• The scammers want your bank account or Social Security number.
• Don’t respond to the message. Instead, report it and then delete it.

Most of us have probably received a text, email, or even phone message from the IRS or another tax authority. Often, the message claims that you owe money on some delinquent tax liability. Other times, it claims that a nice, big, juicy refund is waiting for you. Either way, the people on the other end are hoping you’ll call back or select a link in the message to follow up. Ah, but that’s not a good idea.

Tax refund scams

An advisory issued Thursday by the FTC warns taxpayers to beware of scams as tax season is upon us. Cybercriminals love to exploit holidays and other seasonal events, and tax prep time is high on the list. Though there are many kinds of tax scams, the advisory focuses on those that claim you’re due a refund.

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These types of scams typically kick off with a text or email that appears to be from the IRS or a state tax office. The message tells you that your tax refund claim has been processed or approved. To verify your identity or account, you’re asked to click or tap a link to enter such details as your bank account number or your Social Security number.

If you follow through, presto, you’ve just become a victim. The scammers now have your personal information, which they can use to get a legitimate tax refund, sell on the dark web, or take over your identity to open other accounts.

Sure, many of the messages are obvious scams, at least if you know the warning signs. But people can still fall into the trap, especially if they’re expecting a tax refund and don’t stop to scrutinize the message. To protect yourself from these refund attempts and other scams, the FTC offers the following tips:

1. The actual IRS and state tax authorities will never reach out to you by text, email, or social media. The only people who will try to contact you through those methods are scammers.
2. Don’t respond to the message or click any links in it. If you think you’re due a tax refund, never follow the link included in the message. Instead, visit the USA.gov website to determine if you are getting a refund from the federal government or your state.
3. Report and then delete the messages. Use your phone’s junk or spam option to report the message. You can forward such texts to 7726 (SPAM) and mark emails as spam. Once you’ve reported the message, just delete it.

Back taxes scams 

But the scams don’t end there. An FTC advisory from the previous week sounded the alarm about phone calls or voicemails that claim you owe back taxes. I’ve received a number of these myself.

These types of scams typically start with an unexpected phone call from the “Tax Mediation and Resolution Agency” or another such agency. The ones I’ve received come from the “Tax Relief and Review Office.” The person often tells you that haven’t paid your taxes or that there’s an unresolved item with your account.

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If you stay on the line, the scammer claims they can help by checking on your credit or offering you an IRS liability reduction program. In my experience, these are always left as voicemails with a number I’m told to call to follow up. Either way, taking the bait prompts the scammer to request your Social Security number or other private information that they can use to steal your money or identity.

To combat this type of back taxes scam, the FTC offers a few more tips:

• Know that the IRS’s first contact with you will always be by snail mail, not by phone.
• Never provide personal or financial information to an unexpected caller. If you do, the scammer can access your bank account or steal your identity.
• Reach out to the IRS directly by visiting the IRS.gov website. To speak with someone at the agency, look on the site for official phone numbers.
• To learn how these scams work, check out the FTC’s page on How To Avoid Imposter Scams. If you’re aware of a scam or have been the victim of one, report it through the FTC’s fraud reporting page.