BEWARE OF EMAIL AND TEXT SCAMS INVOLVING ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS, EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDITS, TAX REFUNDS.
Email and text message scams have been going around this summer promising tax refunds or offers to help fix tax problems. Some of these schemes are Economic Impact Payments, Employee Retention Credits and tax refunds. In these emails they request personal documents in order to help you resolve the issue. DO NOT RESPOND TO THOSE EMAILS OR CLICK ON THE LINK THEY PROVIDE IN THE EMAIL. MOST IMPORTANTLY DON’T SEND OR UPLOAD YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. The IRS is aware of these scams and urge taxpayers not to respond to these emails and to report the scams to the IRS (phishing@irs.gov). Also, if you are a victim of this scam, file a complaint with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and visit the IRS website for more information on how to file a complaint or report identity theft.
Below is an example of the email scam, this was sent to one of clients.
Take a look at the email address from the sender, it has nothing to do with the IRS and most importantly the IRS DOES NOT send taxpayers emails and text message.
“From: IRS`GOV <noreplys-0as611afpng@epifaniamoney.com.br>
Subject: Your Tax Refund Available To Claim. Reff:9794391765
Third Round of Economic Impact Payments Status Available.
Dear Tax Payer, We hope this message finds you well. We are writing to inform you about an important matter regarding your recent tax return filing.
Our record indicate that we have received your tax return for the fiscal year 2023. However, upon review, we have identified certain inconsistencies or missing information that require your attention and clarification. You will receive a tax refund of $677.30 , We will process this amount once you have submitted the document we need for the steps to claim your tax refund.
Date : Mon, July 24, 2023 Sender : INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
To expedite the process and avoid further delays or penalties, we advise you to confirm the required document now.
For your convenience, we recommend not using a prepaid card, because sending funds does not support this card.”
As mention above if you receive this email above ignore it or report it to the IRS. DON’T BE A VICTIM!