Impersonating the IRS, unfortunately, remains one of the most popular scam techniques today. Even though tax season is officially over, fraudsters might still attempt to steal your personal information through the guise of “credits,” such as the Sick and Family Leave Credit, the Fuel Tax Credit, or the Clean Energy Credit.
It’s important to remember that the IRS will never contact you by phone or social media. In the latest scam, criminals are claiming clean energy credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). They will request your personal account information, claiming a refund, only to withdraw funds.
Although there are various ways cyber criminals can contact you, “phishing” and “smishing” remain two of the most common methods. Read on for definitions so that you can protect yourself from future attacks.
Phishing
A broad term for deceptive communication that typically happens in emails. Fraudulent links are often included in the messages, and either clicking on these or inputting personal information leads to cyber fraud. The scammers often appear to be legitimate institutions.
Smishing
Smishing, short for “SMS phishing,” is when cyber criminals use deceptive text messages to manipulate their victims into divulging sensitive information. Again, scammers appear to be legitimate.
What to do if you receive any message claiming to be from the IRS:
- Be skeptical of any messages from an unknown, unverified sender
- Never act on a sense of “urgency,” as scammers often rely on fear responses
- Regularly update your mobile device’s security and operating systems
- Hover over messages to check the link’s actual URL
- Scan the message for grammatical or spelling errors, or unusual phrasing
- Never provide personal information over text!
- Always authenticate an IRS notice by calling the IRS customer service hotline
If you do receive something that looks like an IRS scam, be sure to report it. You can use the following website to report an IRS scam or fraud: https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/report-a-tax-scam-or-fraud. If you think your personal financial information has been compromised, call us immediately at 505-889-7755 (or 800-347-2838 outside the Albuquerque area) or visit any branch location.