Scam Report: New IRS Imposter Scam Targets College Students and Staff

April 5, 2021

by Spero Financial

The Federal Trade Commission is alerting consumers about New IRS imposters scamming targets college students and staff.

Excerpt from the Federal Trade Commission article "New IRS imposter scam targets college students and staff"

If you’re a college student, faculty, or staff member, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one. IRS imposters are sending phishing emails to people with “.edu” email addresses, saying they have information about your “tax refund payment.” What do they really want? Your personal information.

Scammers are sending emails with subject lines like, “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.” The email asks you to click a link and submit a form to claim your “refund.”

What happens if you click the link? The website asks for personal information, including your name, Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, prior year’s annual gross income (AGI), driver’s license number, address, and electronic filing PIN. Scammers can use or sell this information for identity theft.

Read more for what you need to know about protecting yourself against IRS imposter scams.


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