IRS scam texts, emails and calls
The IRS says it doesn't text or email you without your permission, never sends direct messages on social media, and never calls to demand payment now, threaten arrest or tell you about a refund.1
Text Message
Today 9:41 AM
IRS notice1: You are eligible for a tax refund of $1,248.60.2 Confirm your personal information3 to receive it at irs-refund-check.example.org4
- It came by text. "We don't send text messages without your permission."1
- A big payday. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."2
- A request to confirm personal or financial information, a common phishing story.3
- An odd link. Odd or misspelled links can take you to harmful sites instead of IRS.gov.2
What to do Don't reply or click. Send the details to phishing@irs.gov with the subject "Text", then delete it.1
Rebuilt from IRS and FTC descriptions; the amount, address and number are made up. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.
Two directions, one goal
Scammers mislead you about refunds, credits and payments, and pressure you for personal, financial or employment information or money.2
The refund bait
"You're eligible for a government refund." The message asks you to confirm personal or financial details first.3
The IRS never calls to tell you about a refund.1
The threat
Impersonators want you to pay "now or else", threaten arrest or deportation, and don't let you question or appeal the amount.2
Pressure without a way to appeal is the tell.
How to report it, by how it arrived
The IRS has a different route for each channel.1
- A textEmail phishing@irs.gov with the subject "Text": the sender's number and the message, your own number, and the date, time and time zone you got it. You can also forward it to 7726.1
- An emailSend it to phishing@irs.gov with the subject "IRS", as an attachment or with "forward as attachment". A normal forward strips data that helps identify the scammer. Then report it to TIGTA and delete it.1
- A phone callWrite down the number and hang up. Report it to the TIGTA hotline on 800-366-4484.1
- A social media messageReport it to the platform, and send the account's full web address to phishing@irs.gov with the subject "Social media".1
If money already left your account
How you paid decides who to call first. Call today.4
| You paid by | Contact right away |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Your card issuer or bank, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Payment app | The app. Report the payment and ask for a reversal. |
| Gift card | The card's issuer, on the number on the card. Keep the card and the receipt. |
| Wire transfer | The wire transfer company. Say it was a scam and ask for a refund. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or crypto ATM operator, then the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. |
Questions people ask
Does the IRS ever call you?
The IRS or private collection agencies may call about account matters, but the IRS never calls to demand payment now, threaten arrest or tell you about a refund.1
A website charged me for an EIN. Is that the IRS?
No. You can get an EIN free from the IRS. Contact your bank or card company to dispute the charge, and report the site to the FTC.1
More scam examples
- Unpaid toll textA small toll, a late fee and a link.
- USPS package textA delivery problem and a redelivery fee.
- How to report a scamWhere each kind of scam goes, in the US and the UK.
- "Wrong number" textA friendly stranger who turns to investing.
- Job offer text and task scamEasy pay, then a deposit to get paid.
- Fake Geek Squad renewal emailHundreds of dollars, call within 24 hours.
- PayPal invoice scamAn invoice you never ordered, sent through PayPal.
- Fake bank fraud alert"Reply YES or NO", then a call.
- Amazon scam texts and emailsA purchase or account problem that isn't real.
- Crypto romance scamA new friend with a trading app.
- All nine examplesThe home page, with every scam side by side.
Sources 4
- Report fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related emails and messages (reviewed 28 October 2026), Internal Revenue Service. Read 28 October 2026.
- Recognize tax scams and fraud (reviewed 7 April 2026), Internal Revenue Service. Read 28 October 2026.
- How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams (September 2022), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check