The Alabama Department of Revenue is warning Alabamians to be on alert for fraudulent text messages about state tax refunds.
Recently, scammers have been using unsolicited text messages to collect personal and financial information from taxpayers. The messages impersonate state agencies and trick taxpayers into clicking links to claim refunds, exposing them to fraud.
ALDOR says there are no known reports in Alabama yet, though similar scams have been reported in New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio in the last month.
The warning emphasizes that ALDOR does not use text messages to communicate with taxpayers about refunds.
Taxpayers who receive questionable messages are advised to not click any links in the text, do not reply, and to delete the messages immediately.
Fraudsters send fake text messages to mislead consumers into giving them personal information like passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Phishing text messages and emails often pose as a company you know or trust. If scammers obtain your personal information, they can potentially gain access to your banking information, email, or other accounts. The messages can look like the following:
The best way to protect yourself from phishing scams is to report the message and then delete it. Phishing messages can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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