PIERRE, S.D. (Legal Newsline) - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley warned consumers on Friday about scams related to the Internal Revenue Service that target taxpayers.
As part of the scam, consumers may receive text messages or emails from individuals claiming to represent the IRS. The messages may tell the recipient about their tax refund and seek personal and financial information.
The bogus messages inform the recipient that they are eligible to receive a particular tax refund, directing the recipient to click on a link to access a form that will let them obtain their refund. The destination site then asks for personally identifying information.
While the destination site looks official, it is a lookalike meant to appear like the official IRS website. In reality, the scam email uses a few different keystrokes in its link to redirect consumers to bogus websites.
"The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information through unsolicited emails or phone calls," Jackley said. "It is important to remember the official IRS website offers tax information for consumers, but the exchange of private financial information is limited."
Jackley recommended that consumers receiving such email or phone messages should contact the IRS directly or his Consumer Protection Division to find out more information.
South Dakota AG warns of IRS scam
