Rossen Reports: Watch out for this new ‘unclaimed refund’ scam
The IRS is sending out a warning about a scam targeting you through physical mail. The scammer will send you a cardboard envelope with a letter that includes the IRS masthead and it says the notice is "in relation to your unclaimed refund."
It will ask you for everything from your Social Security number to your bank account information, even a picture of your driver’s license. The scammer wants all of this to steal your identity.
Luckily, there are some glaring red flags you should watch out for. The most important is that the contact information for the IRS on the letter isn’t even correct. Also, the grammar and punctuation are both strikingly inaccurate.
The IRS gave these examples: “Please Try to Be Checking Your Email for Response From The Agents Thanks."
Another one is, "A Clear Phone of Your Driver's License That Clearly Displays All Four (4) Angles, Taken in a Place with Good Lighting."
If you get a letter like this, go online to IRS.gov and call the contact number on the legitimate website to talk to someone who can help.