July 24, 2023
Tax scams are on the rise big time this summer.
What? There’s a problem with my tax refund. Yes I need to fix it. Let me click this link.
Nooooooooo..
You absolutely cannot “claim your tax refund online” because you miscalculated your taxes.
No. There is no new stimulus payment.
No you’re not getting and ERC or employee retention credit.
The IRS says they’ve been seeing a surge in these tax scams this summer with identity thieves sending out mass emails and texts promising tax refunds or offers to help “fix” tax problems. None of those things are real. These thieves just want your personal information so they can steal your identity.
The IRS says the emails will look like they’re coming from the internal revenue service. But they may be riddled with grammatical or spelling errors. Do not click on anything – even if it says your tax return is missing information and you can fix it online or it says the IRS recalculated your return and you’re actually owed more of a refund and you can click the link to claim it.
You may also be seeing offers on tv or social media, hearing them on the radio or even getting phone calls for you to claim an ERC or employee retention credit. That was a pandemic-era credit for employers that meet a whole list of qualifications. This credit is *not* for individuals. And the IRS say if you file for an ERC and you are not qualified – you’ll have to pay it back and *you* could get hit with penalties and interest. So don’t fall for that either.
When in doubt – remember – the IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers by email, text or through social media regarding a bill or a tax refund.
Here’s more from the IRS about the scams.
