Full disclosure, I take a day of annual leave every April 15th. I need that day to finish and submit my taxes. Usually, I start my federal income taxes earlier, but I don’t finish. Then April 15th is here before I know it, leaving me to scramble and sweat. For many years, I stood in line at the Post Office to have them handstamp the date on the envelope to make sure my tax return was postmarked on time.
Technology has advanced and now I submit my return electronically. Due to the rise in electronic scams, the Federal Trade Commission is reminding people (who may be harried like me!) to refrain from clicking on any links sent in a text or email. The scammers are good; they make the text or email look like official notices. Some may say they have processed or approved your tax refund claim. Then, they ask you to enter confidential information. This is where they try to steal your personal information like Social Security number or bank routing number. Don’t do it!
The IRS will never send an email or text message asking for your personal and financial info. If you want to check on the status, you can track by going to https://www.usa.gov/check-tax-status. Usually, the IRS will issue a refund within 21 days of the electronically filed return. If you are a victim of a scam, report it immediately. If you get a suspicious text, don’t reply, don’t click link, and don’t open attachments. Forward the text to 7726 which helps your wireless provider spot and block similar texts and report the info to the Federal Trade Commission who will share with law enforcement.
Since the IRS is phasing out paper checks, we all need to understand and protect our information as we go electronic.
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