That "tax refund" text is a scam — how to spot it and what to do
A text or email saying your tax refund is "ready" and asking you to click a link is a classic impersonation scam. Here is how it works, the tells, and the free move that defeats it.
A “tax refund” scam starts with a message that feels like good news: a text or email saying your refund has been processed, approved, or is ready to claim — if you just tap a link and confirm a few details. The link leads to a page built to look like an official tax-agency login, and anything you type there goes straight to the scammer.
How the scam works
The pattern is consistent, and tax-filing season is its busiest time:
- The hook. A message claims your refund (or a “tax refund e-statement”) is waiting. It may use official-looking logos and even spoof the sender name or caller ID.
- The link. You’re told to click to “verify” or “claim” your refund. The page is a look-alike of a real tax or government site.
- The harvest. The form asks for personal information, bank or card numbers, or login details — exactly what a scammer needs to steal your refund or your identity.
- The pressure. A short deadline (“claim within 24 hours or forfeit”) is there to rush you past your own judgment.
The single most useful fact to remember: a genuine tax agency like the IRS makes first contact by mail, not by text or email, and it does not send refunds — or ask you to “claim” them — through a link in a message.
How to spot it
The warning signs are in the box below, but the short version is: a link + a deadline + a request for your details = stop. Real refunds don’t depend on you clicking a text within the hour.
What to do instead
You don’t need to buy anything to beat this scam. The free move comes first — see the defense box. The habit that defeats nearly every impersonation message is simple: never reach an organization through a link they sent you. Go to them directly, on a number or address you already trust. For more named habits, see our defense moves, and you can test your eye on the 60-second quiz.
- A text or email says your refund is "ready" or "approved" and tells you to click a link to claim it.
- The link goes to a look-alike login page that asks for your personal, bank, or card details.
- The message pushes urgency — "claim within 24 hours" — to make you act before you think.
- Don’t tap the link. A real tax agency’s first contact is a letter in the mail — not a text or email about a refund.
- If you want to check, open your tax account yourself: type the official website or use the official app from a bookmark.
- Report the message (in the US, forward scam texts and report at the FTC), then delete it.
- If you already entered details, change those passwords and watch your accounts — a free credit freeze blocks new accounts in your name.
The detail that catches careful people isn’t a typo — it’s the timing. These land right when you’re actually expecting a refund. If a message about money arrives with a link and a deadline, treat the link as the trap and reach the agency your own way instead.
Sources
Frequently asked
Does the IRS ever text or email about a refund?
No. According to the FTC, the IRS’s first contact is a letter by mail — it does not text, email, or message you on social media about a refund, and it won’t ask you to click a link to "claim" one.
I clicked the link but didn’t enter anything. Am I at risk?
Tapping a link is lower risk than entering details, but malicious pages can still attempt to load malware. Don’t enter any information, close the page, keep your phone’s software updated, and if anything feels off, run a security scan.
It used my real name — doesn’t that make it genuine?
No. Scammers often have your name or email from a past data breach. A personalized greeting is not proof the sender is who they claim to be.