Hartford, CT - Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) Commissioner Kevin B. Sullivan today cautioned residents to be wary of phone calls, emails, or text messages claiming to be about refunds from DRS or the Internal Revenue Service. Information DRS received from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team warned that scammers are flooding cyberspace.
“As we enter the height of the income tax season, scammers try a variety of methods to gain access to personal information about individuals and their finances,” Commissioner Sullivan said. “These criminals frequently target the elderly and disadvantaged, or randomly blanket the area in the hope that a small number of trusting individuals will provide them with the information they need to steal identities or money from bank accounts. It is truly despicable.”
Commissioner Sullivan said some of the methods being reported by the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team include emails and text messages:
· claiming to have or need information about tax refunds or direct deposits,
· warning about unreported or under-reported income,
· offering to assist filing for a refund, or
· claiming to have information about fake e-file websites.
“These messages may ask you to send an email with your personal information, verify an attachment, or to follow a link to a website. Under no circumstances should you respond to these emails or open any links or attachments,” Commissioner Sullivan warned, adding that websites and attachments are often used to infect computers with malware that can steal important information.
Commissioner Sullivan said that neither DRS nor the IRS uses texts, emails, or unsolicited phone calls to contact taxpayers about their refund or filing status. Taxpayers with any questions about the validity of communications they have received from DRS should contact the agency at (800) 382-9463 (within Connecticut but outside the greater Hartford area) or (860) 297-5962 (from anywhere).
Taxpayers who believe they have received a scam email, text message, or phone call, are encouraged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at:
Connecticut residents who believe they have been the victim of identity theft should report the matter to the Department of Consumer Protection at dcp.tradepractices@ct.gov
For more information on various scams and how to avoid them, visit the following websites.
