Charleston, W.Va. — Tax season is here and if you are getting a refund, scammers could be trying to steal it before you 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 you get a text or email about a “tax refund” – especially one that asks you to click a link – know that it is a scam designed to steal your personal identity, your 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 (IRS) or a state tax office and claim that they’ve “processed” or “approved” your tax refund. They tell you to “verify your identity” to receive the money and ask you to click a link to enter personal identifiable information such as your Social Security number and bank account number. This is a phishing scam designed to trick you into giving scammers your personal and financial information.
If you get 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 your 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 you are really getting a federal or state tax refund.
• Report and delete the message then block the number or email address. Use your phone’s “report junk” option or forward unsolicited texts to 7726 (SPAM) and mark unwanted emails as junk or spam. Delete the message once you have reported it.
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 your payment information or account.
• Incorrect or unusual grammar.
• Requests for you to verify your personal or payment information.
• Unusual email addresses or URL structures. The URL is the address of the website found at the top of your web browser, for example, https://www.wvago.gov. Examine the URL of the website you are 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 you receive 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.
