February 22, 2024 – As the official start of tax season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is issuing a crucial warning about scams that could potentially cost taxpayers hundreds of dollars.
The latest scam to be aware of involves an email that appears to be from the IRS and features the agency’s logo. This deceptive email talks about the “Third round of economic impact payments,” stating it concerns “an important matter regarding your recent tax return filing.”
The email notes “we have identified certain inconsistencies or missing information” and falsely promises a refund of $976 once the documents requested are submitted. There’s also a button labeled “complete my information”, but it is a trap that the IRS warns against clicking.
“It’s hard to imagine what someone’s going to come up with next as a scam,” Robert Marvin IRS Media Relations Specialist said.
He points out the red flags taxpayers should watch for, such as inconsistencies in the email content. For example, at the very bottom of that email with the IRS logo, there’s the presence of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s, that should be a warning sign.
Marvin emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing emails for “strange versions and spellings of IRS,” and advises being alert to “typos, misspellings, and things that don’t look normal in business correspondence.”
The IRS says there’s a one hard and fast rule to always keep in mind.
“The IRS does not initiate with taxpayers, request for information through email, through text or social media, we just don’t do business that way. When we’re requesting for information we use the US Mail,” said Marvin.
According to the IRS, thieves ramp up efforts to steal your personal information during tax season. Their goal is to file fraudulent tax returns and claim your refund. Before giving any personal information, contact the IRS directly.
