AARP Virginia Fraud Alert: IRS Refund Scam

Criminals use a lot of different tactics to steal money from consumers, and one of those tactics is the promise of free money. This summer the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new scam mailing that tries to mislead people into believing the IRS owes them a refund.

The new scheme involves a mailing that comes in a cardboard envelope from a delivery service. The enclosed letter includes the IRS masthead and wording that the notice is “in relation to your unclaimed refund.” The mailing asks recipients to call a number and includes a request for a long list of personal information including photos of their driver’s license, Social Security number and bank routing numbers. (We hear that driver’s licenses are now the hottest commodity on the Dark Web.)

The IRS warns against sharing your driver’s license or other personal information that criminals can use to file for a tax refund in your name. They also pointed out that the letter contains a variety of warning signs, including odd punctuation and a mixture of fonts and other inaccuracies.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork  or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.