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The Federal Trade Commission has issued a scam alert regarding IRS impersonators. Recently, scammers have been sending out text messages on a “tax rebate” or a different kind of tax refund/benefit.
The text message overall may look legitimate, the FTC says, but no matter what it exactly says, it is a scam. The text will always include a link for the potential victim to click on usually in the phrase of claim “your refund.” Once clicked, the scammer can then install malware and steal personal information.
The FTC says the IRS will never call, email, or text in order to contact you the first time, the IRS will always send a letter. Those who have received this text message are urged to ignore it, block the number, and delete the text. You can also report the text message by forwarding a screenshot of it as an email attachment to phishing@irs.gov.
If you clicked a link in one of these texts or emails and shared personal information, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov to get a customized recovery plan based on what information you shared.
