SPOKANE, Wash. — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warned Wednesday of a new phishing scam targeting hundreds of thousands of taxpayers across the country.
According to the IRS, scammers were targeting people via text messages, containing links to fake offers like COVID relief, tax credits or help setting up an IRS online account.
“This is phishing on an industrial scale so thousands of people can be at risk of receiving these scam messages,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “In recent months, the IRS has reported multiple large-scale smishing campaigns that have delivered thousands – and even hundreds of thousands – of IRS-themed messages in hours or a few days, far exceeding previous levels of activity.”
These scam texts often ask people to click on a link that goes to phishing websites that try to collect personal information, or download malware onto people’s phones.
The IRS reiterated that it does not send emails or text messages asking for personal or financial information or account numbers, and people should recognize any requests like those as “red flags.”
RELATED: Kootenai Co. Sheriff’s Office warns of IRS scams
IRS agents reported a big increase in reports of “smishing” (fraudulent domains tied to several MMS/SMS/text) scams asking…
