Scam Alert: Watch Out for New Tax Refund Scam

By: Stacey Nickens

Scammers are currently targeting people associated with colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, Students and staff who have “.edu” email addresses may receive an email with the IRS logo.

These emails are often accompanied by the subject lines “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment”. The email will then ask recipients to click a link and fill out a form in order to receive your tax refund.

Once you click the link, you will be taken to a website and asked to provide personal information. Some of this information includes your Social Security Number, Driver’s License Number, and Electronic Filing Pin.

If you receive this or a similar email, do not click the link or provide them with your information. Instead, save the email using “save as” and send the attachment to [email protected]. You can also forward the email as an attachment to [email protected].

If you have already provided information on this fake website, go to IRS.gov and apply for an Identity Protection PIN. This PIN will help prevent identity thieves from filing a return using your stolen information.

For more information, go to the IRS’s Identity Theft Central in order to learn about these scams and how to protect yourself from them.