Crime & Safety
Phony IRS Texts Target County Residents: Officials
Multiple county residents have gotten the text, which tries to get you to divulge personal information.
ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Several area residents have been targeted by a recent scam text which falsely claims to be coming from the Internal Revenue Service.
Tom Walsh, county district attorney, on Tuesday issued an alert to the public to warn residents not to fall victim to the scheme.
The texts claim the recipients are "eligible for a $1,400 economic impact statement," according to the alert. It comes from a hotmail address, rather than a secure government address, and includes a link to a nonexistent website, officials said.
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With tax season through mid-April, officials anticipate IRS-related scams will be more common in the coming weeks.
The IRS will never ask for your personal information, as it already has it, the alert cautions. The IRS also wouldn’t contact taxpayers by email, text or social media to get personal or financial information.
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The IRS typically contacts people through the U.S. Postal Service. It would only text you if you have given prior permission.
Read more about the IRS’ guidance on “How to know if it’s the IRS” on its website.
Report suspicious activity to the Rockland County District Attorney’s office at its website.
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