WARNING: Florida attorney general warns of crooks posing as IRS to steal your refund

Shannon Behnken
·1 min read
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As you file your last-minute tax returns, it’s time to start thinking about a scheme that could be right around the corner.

Attorney General Ashley Moody is sounding the alarm about direct deposit refund scams. She’s warning about schemers who call, text, or email, pretending to be the IRS, with concerns about your direct deposit tax refund.

“The schemers then demand money be returned immediately, usually in the form of an untraceable means like a wire transfer or gift card,” she said.

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Moody says, “It’s important to know that no matter how convincing the fraudsters may be, the IRS will not text taxpayers about refunds or call demanding payments through untraceable mediums, such as gift cards. “

To avoid direct deposit refund scams, taxpayers should know:

  • IRS agents will never text or email regarding payments.

  • The IRS accepts multiple means of payment and will never require payments to be in the form of wire transfers or gift cards.

  • The IRS will never call to demand immediate payments through specific methods.

  • Taxpayers can contact the IRS through the official website to address concerns.

Report tax scams or other fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.

The IRS provides online tools to help track tax refunds. You can use the ‘Where’s My Refund?’ webtool or download the IRS2Go mobile app to check the status of a refund.

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