Scammers are sending phishing emails to students, faculty, staff, and others who have email addresses ending in .edu. These emails display the IRS logo and have subject lines such as “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.” If you receive one, do not click any links, and do not provide any information to the sender. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text message, or social media to request personal or financial information, including, PIN numbers, passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts.
Report an IRS-impersonating email to the IRS by forwarding the phishing email as an attachment to [email protected]. To do that in Gmail: check the checkbox next to the message you want to forward, then click the More button (three dots) at the top of your inbox, and finally, select Forward as attachment.
The IRS provides these recommendations if you’ve entered your info on the phishing site:
Consider immediately obtaining an Identity Protection PIN. This is a voluntary opt-in program. An IP PIN is a six-digit number that helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns in the victim's name.
Taxpayers who attempt to e-file their tax return and find it rejected because a return with their SSN already has been filed should file an Identity Theft Affidavit to report themselves as a possible identity theft victim. See Identity Theft Central to learn about the signs of identity theft and actions to take.
You can check your tax refund status online at Where's My Refund? on IRS.gov.
