IRS Warns About Tax Refund Scam

The IRS has a warning about scammers trying to trick people into believing they are owed a refund.

With tax season upon us, many could fall victim.

The new scheme involves a letter in the mail that looks real and could even be addressed to a real person.

The letter has the IRS logo but with contact information and a phone number that does not belong to the IRS.

The letter also has different phrases about an "unclaimed refund" or "refund check" to get your attention.

Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams.

Scammers steal in many ways, such as through mail, telephone, and email, to try to get your personal information.

Paul Hood, a CPA and personal financial specialist in Tulsa, said crooks will use the information for all kinds of things.

"A scammer will get just enough of your information to file a fake tax return and get a refund from the IRS, so they're not stealing from you, they're stealing from the IRS, but it creates a lot of problems for you because then you can't electronically file your return because when you go to file, the IRS shows you've already filed a return, so it rejects your return," said Hood.

To confirm whether any communication that claims to be from the IRS is real or to report illegal tax activity, call the IRS at 800-366-4484.