MONROE, La. – It’s tax season and Jo-Ann Deal with the Better Business Bureau says scammers are trying to spoof the Internal Revenue Service.
“There is a text that is coming out, it is an imposter text, from the IRS, it says that your federal income tax return was rejected by the IRS, don’t worry we will help you fix the problem and it says IRS at the bottom of the text,” explains Deal
Deal says these messages are not from the IRS, so don’t respond to them and don’t panic.
“Texting has become the new medium to get you to make a phone call or to respond to a phishing email.”
When you get a call, text, or email that looks like this Deal says you should block the sender’s number.
Visit the IRS’s website to find official information.
“A letter still is the official correspondence from the US government, so you will get a letter in the mail from the IRS, and you should respond to it if it is really the IRS,” explains Deal.
But scammers are getting savvier, they can impersonate government emails, web pages, or even headers on pieces of mail. If you’re ever concerned about the authenticity of something, you can look at the IRS’s website or you can call the BBB.
Also, make sure there’s a secure lock on the top left-hand corner of a site before entering any personal or financial information. “If you are not a computer user and you have a question, the better business bureau will be glad to intervene for you, look up a form or a phone number to help you access the proper tax reporting agency.”
