The Internal Revenue Service has issued a warning about a current scam, certain to effect a large number of taxpayers this year. Scammers have acquired personal information (social security numbers, bank account numbers, etc) and are filing fraudulent tax returns. The returns are direct deposited into the taxpayer’s bank account, as if the return is legitimate. In other cases, a paper check is mailed to the taxpayer. The scammer then sends an automated call, as if from the IRS, to the taxpayer. The call requests the funds be returned and will threaten the taxpayer with criminal fraud charges, an arrest warrant and a “blacklisting” of their social security number.
Protect yourself from this scam by following the guidelines, provided by the IRS here, on what to do should you receive an erroneous refund. The sooner you report the scam, the faster the IRS and authorities will be able to take action that could prevent more theft. If you did receive an erroneous refund, you are also encouraged to close the compromised account to prevent other fraudulent activity.
For questions or more information, visit the Internal Revenue Service website.