07/07/2023
IRS Warns of Scam Refund Mailings
Taxpayers need to be on the lookout for a mailing that is part of a tax scam trying to mislead them into believing they are owed a refund, the IRS has announced (IR-2023-123). The scheme involves a mailing sent to taxpayers in a cardboard envelope from a delivery service. The envelope contains an official-looking letter purportedly from the IRS stating that it is in relation to their unclaimed refund.
The letter asks the taxpayer to provide personal information, including detailed photos of their driver’s license, that can be used to steal the taxpayer’s identity and seek tax refunds or other sensitive financial information. The IRS said the letters can be identified because they include awkwardly worded requests, odd punctuation, a mixture of fonts and inaccurate information. For example, one letter made the following request: "A Clear Phone of Your Driver's License That Clearly Displays All Four (4) Angles, Taken in a Place with Good Lighting."