Today’s Scam of the day is about a phishing email presently circulating that appears to come from the IRS informing you that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $825.71. The email has a pdf attachment that appears to be on IRS stationary and, unlike many of these types of emails in the past, is grammatically correct, most likely due to the use of AI in creating the phony letter. It provides a link for you to go to in order to receive your refund, but if you click on the link you risk downloading malware or providing personal information that will lead to identity theft.
This particular phishing email is not particularly convincing and is riddled with indications that it is a scam. First, the email address of the sender has no relation to the IRS; Second, it never refers to the person it is being sent to by name, but only to “Dear Taxpayer;”
It is easy to know when you get an email from the IRS as to whether it really was sent by the IRS because the IRS will never initiate contact with you by an email, text message or phone call. If you have questions about your refund from the IRS, you can use this link for information about it. https://www.irs.gov/refunds/about-wheres-my-refund
BS, Be Skeptical. It is always a good rule to follow to never click on a link in an email or text message or provide personal information in response to an email or text message unless you have absolutely confirmed that the communication is legitimate.
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