Recently, the Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers about a new scam rising in popularity – mailings regarding “unclaimed refunds.”
Every year, scammers think of more creative ways to trick us into unwittingly handing out our personal information.
This new scheme involves a mailing coming in a cardboard envelope from a delivery service. The enclosed letter (written on IRS letterhead) states that the notice is “in relation to your unclaimed refund.” The mailing asks for sensitive information, including photos of your driver’s license, so identity thieves can easily obtain your personal information.
One way to catch these scam mailings is to look for awkward wording or phrasing in the instructions. Another is to call the number on the mailing to verify that it comes from IRS. These mailings include a contact number – but the number does not actually belong to the IRS.
When in doubt, contact the IRS directly before handing out any personal information.
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