(WXYZ) — With Tax Day coming up in less than three weeks, I want to let you know about a warning from the Better Business Bureau.
During an interview with a spokesperson for the BBB, I learned about a new scam they are seeing in 2025.
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"What is the emerging scam this year? Have you identified one?" I asked Melanie McGovern with the BBB.
"We have seen an increase in text messages saying you're getting a stimulus check from the IRS," she said.
This scam might trip you up as you prepare for the April 15 tax filing deadline.
"We see scams every year around tax season, but the one you're most concerned about is?" I asked
"That people are getting text messages saying the IRS owes them $1,400 from a pandemic-era tax credit. And, you know, there's a link to click. So, you know, ‘hey, free money! It's the IRS.’ The IRS doesn't send text messages," McGovern said.
Related: Unpaid toll texts: What you need to know as the BBB calls it an 'emerging scam'
What makes this scam especially convincing is that the IRS said 1.1 million people have an estimated $1 billion in unclaimed refunds for tax year 2021.
But, for people who did not file taxes for 2021, which would have been in the winter or spring of 2022, their three-year window to claim that pandemic relief money expires April 15 – or the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.
All that's true, but you cannot get money by clicking a link in a text message, so the BBB is sounding the alarm.
The BBB said to avoid the stimulus check text scam, do not click on a link claiming to be from the IRS. Again, the IRS does not communicate through text messages.
Make sure you use reputable tax software or hire a reputable tax preparer, and make sure you check IRS.gov to get access to your tax records in your individual online account.
