You worked hard for your refund, don't let scammers steal it! The Federal Trade Commission says that scams may start with a text or email that asks you to click a link in regard to your "tax refund." These messages might ask you to verify your identity, share personal information, or send money, but it's a phishing scam. The FTC offers these steps to help you determine what to do if you receive a suspicious message:
- Know that the real IRS and state tax offices won’t reach out by text, email, or on social media to get your information. Only scammers will.
- Don’t respond or click any links. To check the status of a pending tax refund, never use the link from the message. Instead, visit USA.gov to learn how to find out if you’re really getting a federal or state tax refund.
- Report and delete the message. Use your phone’s “report junk” option or forward unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM) and mark unwanted emails as spam or junk. Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the message.
- Visit IdentityTheft.gov/steps to learn how to protect yourself before identity theft happens. And if you spot a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.