Tax season is here and if a person is getting a refund, scammers could be trying to steal it before one can claim it. That is why West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is warning consumers to be wary of emails or texts promising a tax refund. If a person gets a text or email about a “tax refund” – especially one that asks one to click a link – know that it is a scam designed to steal one’s personal identity, actual tax refund or both.
Texting and email are essential communication tools. Unfortunately, they are also used by scammers to target potential victims. “Tax refund” scams are emails or texts that appear to be from the Internal Revenue Service or a state tax office and claim that they’ve “processed” or “approved” one’s tax refund. They tell a person to “verify your identity” to receive the money and ask one to click a link to enter personal identifiable information such as a Social Security number and bank account number. This is a phishing scam designed to trick one into giving scammers personal and financial information.
If a person gets a message like this:
•Know that the IRS and state tax offices do not reach out by text, email or by social media to confirm one’s information.
•Do not respond or click any links. To check on the status of a pending tax refund, visit USA.gov to learn how to find out if a person is really getting a federal or state tax refund.
•Report and delete the message then block the number or email address. Use a phone’s “report junk” option or forward unsolicited texts to 7726 (SPAM) and mark unwanted emails as junk or spam. Delete the message once it has been deleted.
There are signs that indicate an email or text is fake. Consumers can follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim. Look for:
•Emails that do not include a name, telephone number, or other verifiable contact information.
•Claims that there is a problem with a person’s payment information or account.
•Incorrect or unusual grammar.
•Requests for a person to verify the personal or payment information.
•Unusual email addresses or URL structures. The URL is the address of the website found at the top of a web browser, for example, https://www.wvago.gov. Examine the URL of the website a person is visiting and look for misspellings, for example, https://www.yourbonk.com instead of https://www.yourbank.com.
•URLs that begin with what looks like a legitimate website but have unusual spelling or extra characters at the end. Example: https://www.yourbank.com.ir123g!m.
If a person receives a text or email with any of these characteristics, it’s a scam.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-368-8808 or visit the office online at ago.wv.gov.
