How many times can we say that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will NOT email or telephone you? We will say it again. If you receive a telephone call, email or text from someone saying they are from the IRS, it is A SCAM. It’s that simple. If you don’t believe me, check out the IRS website which will this fact.

Imposters, fraudsters, and scammers have been launching scams scaring people into believing that they owe money or back taxes to the IRS for years, including threatening victims with arrest and jail.

Instead of relying on that old trick, the fraudsters are now targeting students and faculty with .edu emails with tag lines like “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.”

Students and faculty with .edu emails in higher education should know better, but unfortunately, the Federal Trade Commission has had to issue a warning to students and faculty that they are being targeted because some victims have been scammed.

If a victim clicks on the link to submit a form to receive the tax refund from the “IRS,” the form requests highly sensitive and useful information to the scammers to perpetrate identity theft, including name, address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, electronic filing PIN, and last year’s income. This is all information that can be easily used to file a fraudulent tax return in your name.

Don’t fall for any emails, telephone calls, or texts that say they are from the IRS. Delete, delete, delete! The IRS DOES NOT email, call, or text.  It is prime season for tax return and refund fraud, so be cautious and vigilant to protect yourself.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.