{"id":52857,"date":"2022-09-28T12:10:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T19:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=52857"},"modified":"2022-09-28T14:11:55","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T21:11:55","slug":"irs-reports-significant-increase-in-texting-scams-warns-taxpayers-to-remain-vigilant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=52857","title":{"rendered":"IRS reports significant increase in texting scams; warns taxpayers to remain vigilant"},"content":{"rendered":"

IR-2022-167, Sept. 28, 2022,\u00a0WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2014 The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers of a recent increase in IRS-themed texting scams aimed at stealing personal and financial information.<\/p>\n

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So far in 2022, the IRS has identified and reported thousands of fraudulent domains tied to multiple MMS\/SMS\/text scams (known as smishing) targeting taxpayers. In recent months, and especially in the last few weeks, IRS-themed smishing has increased exponentially.<\/p>\n

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Smishing campaigns target mobile phone users, and the scam messages often look like they\u2019re coming from the IRS, offering lures like fake COVID relief, tax credits or help setting up an IRS online account. Recipients of these IRS-related scams can report them to phishing@irs.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is phishing on an industrial scale so thousands of people can be at risk of receiving these scam messages,\u201d said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. \u201cIn recent months, the IRS has reported multiple large-scale smishing campaigns that have delivered thousands \u2013 and even hundreds of thousands \u2013 of IRS-themed messages in hours or a few days, far exceeding previous levels of activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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With the approach of October\u2019s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the IRS and the Security Summit<\/a> partners in the states and the nation\u2019s tax community remind people and the tax professional community to be on the lookout for phishing scams and other schemes that could put sensitive tax data at risk.<\/p>\n

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In the latest activity, the scam texts often ask taxpayers to click a link where phishing websites will try to collect their information or potentially send malicious code onto their phones. The IRS does not<\/strong> send emails or text messages asking for personal or financial information or account numbers. These messages should all be red flags for taxpayers.<\/p>\n

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Beginning in the fall of 2020, the IRS observed an increase<\/a> in reports of smishing scams requesting taxpayer personal and financial information. These smishing campaigns continued through the pandemic. The IRS has taken numerous steps to warn people of this ongoing threat, including posting a video<\/a> about how to avoid IRS text message scams.<\/p>\n

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Taxpayers should continue reporting these scams to phishing@irs.gov<\/a>. Their reporting allows the IRS to report these scams to the appropriate service providers for action, protecting other taxpayers who might receive a variant of the same scam.<\/p>\n

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While the IRS works to shut down online fraud, criminals are using ever-evolving tactics to cast a wider net and catch more victims, like using algorithms to automatically generate hundreds or even thousands of fraudulent domains. For example, a recent campaign used just three dozen stolen or bogus email addresses to create over 1,000 fraudulent domains.<\/p>\n

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\u201cParticularly in these cases, the best offense is a good defense,\u201d said Rettig. \u201cTaxpayers and tax pros need to remain constantly vigilant with suspicious IRS-related emails and text messages. And if you get one, sending the IRS important details from the text can help us disrupt the scams and protect others.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Reporting IRS-related smishing<\/strong><\/p>\n

The IRS maintains an inbox, phishing@irs.gov<\/a>, to process IRS, Treasury and\/or tax-related online scams only. Smishing involving other agencies and\/or brands should not<\/u><\/strong> be reported to phishing@irs.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Reporting IRS-themed texts to the IRS allows security professionals to track and disrupt these scams. Individuals reporting scam texts to the IRS should include both the body of the message and the sender\u2019s information in one email or text. Copying the actual text into an email is preferred. However, if necessary, screenshots can be sent. Scam SMS\/text messages can also be copied and forwarded to wireless providers via text to 7726 (SPAM), which helps them spot and block similar messages in the future.<\/p>\n

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The following process will help capture important details for reporting smishing to the IRS:<\/p>\n