IRS Refund Scam Email
The original site is no longer online; links go to the Internet Archive copy.
The claim
Emails claim that the recipient is entitled to a tax refund from the IRS and should click a link in the message to fill out an online refund form
Subject: Tax Notification
………………………………………………………………………………………………
We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $246.30 under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to process it.
To get your refund, please access the IRS e-file form.
IRS e-file form (Link to bogus website removed)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Note: For security reasons, we will record your ip-address, the date and time. Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicted.
Note: Because this letter could help resolve any questions regarding your exempt status, you should keep it in your permanent records.
David Morgan
Director, Tax Refunds Department
ATTN: Dear Applicant,
2009 – Recalculation Tax Refund
After the last annual calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $284.23
Your TRN (TAX REFUND NUMBER): 2 7 9 0 2 1 6 8 1 5, please fill the payment form attached in the email. Please submit the tax refund and allow us 3-9 business days in order to process it.
Note: For security reasons, we recommend that you close your browser after you have finished accessing your refund status. – For security reasons, we will record your ip-address and date.
– Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicted.
Best Regards,
George Hoffman
Tax Credits Office Agent
What the fact-checkers found
Emails are phishing scams designed to steal private financial information
For several years a series of phishing scam emails that claim to be from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have been targeting US taxpayers. The emails inform recipients that they are eligible for a tax refund and instruct them to follow a link to fill out a refund form. The messages are not from the IRS but are instead phishing scams designed to steal personal and financial information from recipients.
Recipients who follow the links provided in the emails are taken to a bogus “tax refund” webform that is designed to resemble a genuine IRS webpage and asked to provide information such as credit card numbers and social security numbers. The scammers can collect any information entered into such bogus webforms and use it for fraud and identity theft
The IRS does not send unsolicited emails to consumers. If you receive one of these emails, do not follow any links provided or supply any information. Do not open any attachments that may arrive with the email.
Scammers use the same “tax refund” ruse to target taxpayers in other nations as well as the United States. For more current information about such tax refund phishing scams please refer to the following articles:
IRS Tax Refund Phishing Scam
HM Revenue & Customs Tax Refund Phishing Scam
Department of Finance Phishing Scam
Australian Tax Refund Scam Email
Canada Revenue Agency Tax Refund Phishing Scam
Got a similar message?
Paste it into the detector and see whether it matches a known hoax.
Check a similar messageRelated fact-checks
Browse the archive →HM Revenue & Customs Income Tax Repayment Phishing Scam
This story was first published on May 3, 2011
Australian Tax Refund Scam Email
The email is a phishing scam. The message is not from the Australian Taxation Office. The promised refund does not exist. The scam email is designed to trick you into clicking a link and submitting your personal and financial information on a bogus website.
Canada Revenue Agency Tax Refund Phishing Scam
This story was first published on July 30, 2009 For several years, fraudulent emails claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency have been targeting Canadian taxpayers. The emails inform you that you are eligible for a tax refund.
HMRC “Last Fiscal Activity”; Tax Refund Phishing Scam
The email is not from HMRC. The promise of an unexpected tax refund is just the bait used to trick you into clicking a link. If you do click the link, you will be taken to a fraudulent website that asks you to supply your name, address, and contact details…