Beware Of This New Stimulus Check Scam That Looks Like A Legit Text From The IRS
'Tis the season for filing taxes, and unfortunately that means that tax scams are also underway.
In the latest scheme, scammers are texting people about a stimulus check in order to get them to give up their personal information, according to a new alert by the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that tracks bad advertisements and customer complaints in North America. As of 2025, the BBB has received about 40 reports of this scam.
Upon first glance, the text appears legitimate.
'You are eligible to receive a $1,400 Economic Impact Payment. Please provide your accurate personal information. We will deposit the amount into your bank account or mail a paper check within 1 to 2 business days,' the scam text reads while including a fraudulent IRS link.
Melanie McGovern, the BBB's director of public relations and social media, said the scam is insidious because it is based on real IRS payments taxpayers may have heard about in the news. They are trying to get you to think, 'Oh, I have money coming. I should probably look into this,' McGovern said, so you click the erroneous link.
There is some truth to this kind of offer. In December, the IRS said it would be issuing automatic payments to anyone who was eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax return and did not claim their stimulus check during the pandemic. The maximum payment was up to $1,400 per individual. But payments went out to the bank account listed on the taxpayer's return in most cases by January 2025, so the window has passed.
Here's what you should know about the scam and what you should do if you get this text.
The easiest way to tell if that IRS text is a scam is, well, receiving the offer or message as a text. The real IRS will never text you about a bill, refund or unexpected windfall.
As the federal agency itself states, 'The IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.'
In other words, it is normal to get news about your tax refund by mail, but it is not normal to receive unsolicited communication from the IRS by phone. If the IRS needs to get in contact with you, they will typically first send a letter by USPS.
IRS impersonation schemes are tricky, because they sound legitimate at first glance. But there are immediate steps you can take to ensure you do not get fooled.
In the stimulus check scam, the fraudulent link of https://www.irs.gov-instructions.com was used. 'They make that URL look so close' to the real IRS website, McGovern said, but know that IRS websites end in .gov, not .com.
The IRS will also mail tax filers legitimate notices and letters related to balances, refunds and questions about returns, and you can confirm if the IRS letter is legitimate by looking up the type of letter you got on the official IRS website.
If you did click on a link for an alleged stimulus check, you might have downloaded malware by accident, so use your computer's built-in tools like Windows Defender to scan for malware and viruses. If you did share banking details, call your bank to check for fraudulent transactions or security breaches.
And if you see this kind of text, report the scam to authorities. Before you delete the suspicious text, send a screenshot of the text as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov.
To be most helpful, include details like the caller ID, email or phone number that sent this message, and the date, time and phone number that received the scam message, the IRS suggests.
Are You Being 'Smished'? Here's How To Spot The Latest Texting Scam.
If You Suspect You Are On A Scam Call, Do NOT Say This 1 Word
Don't Fall For This New IRS Tax Refund Scam
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hope Florida Foundation to amend tax return to show golf tourney made more money
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis held a two-day golf tournament at a high-end resort in Panama City Beach last year to raise cash for the Hope Florida Foundation, the nonprofit associated with the First Lady that is under investigation. The May 2024 event at a resort that bills itself as the 'true gem' of Florida's Gulf Coast lost more than $17,000, according to the foundation's delinquent federal tax return filed in April — six months past its due date. But now the foundation said it will amend its tax return by attributing more donations to the golf fundraiser, ones it previously failed to report to IRS. The event, it claims, was an 'extraordinary success,' though by IRS rules it still lost money, even if the foundation's 990 tax form is amended. The problems with Hope Florida's tax return underscores the financial challenges that have plagued the two-year-old foundation and prompted state lawmakers this spring to launch an investigation into the charity, trumpeted by Ron and Casey DeSantis as way to help Floridians get off government assistance. 'The incompetence is astounding,' Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, said by email when he was told about how the group's tax return was to be amended. Andrade used his House Health Care Budget Committee this spring to investigate the Hope Florida Foundation, which was used as a pass through for $10 million from the state's Medicaid settlement. That money wound up in the account of a political action committee set up by DeSantis' former chief of staff, James Uthmeier, to defeat a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. Andrade said it was illegal to shift state money that should have gone to help provide health care for the poor to a political operation. Uthmeier, who DeSantis has since appointed Florida's attorney general, has denied any wrongdoing. The House investigation also showed that the Hope Florida Foundation had not filed its tax return, produced a required audit or kept up with other paperwork. Andrade ended his investigation in April saying he there was evidence that DeSantis administration officials and others tied to Hope Florida had committed 'conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud' in moving the Medicaid money. The DeSantises and others involved also deny any wrongdoing. Andrade handed over information, he said, to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Leon County State Attorney's Office, which confirmed it is investigating the allegations. The golf fundraiser coincided with a press conference where DeSantis and his wife handed out $140,000 in checks to seven local nonprofits and churches. But it was not announced in advance by the governor's office or the Hope Florida Foundation and seemed to have little social media presence. Now the Foundation is spinning the initial loss claimed for the fundraiser into gold. 'The Governor's Cup was an extraordinary success that was not paid for at taxpayer expense and raised a net profit of nearly $700,000 for the Hope Florida Foundation,' the foundation said in a recent statement provided by Jeff Aaron, the outside legal counsel hired in October to help fix the foundation's finances and other problems. Aaron provided a list of donations that were not part of Hope Florida's tax form and said an amended form would be filed soon. Aaron said the tournament raised $785,000 donations and had $95,547 in expenses for a total profit of $689,452. But the foundation's tax return tells a different tale. It shows the Governor's Cup only made $22,000, and with $40,000 in expenses reported a loss of $17,000. The IRS requires the donations to be subtracted from the gross revenues to show how much the revenue the event generated selling event-related goods and services. So while the tax return notes the foundation received about $400,000 in contributions, that money is not counted as revenue for the fundraiser. And because the tournament didn't produce enough revenue to cover the expenses, the expenses come out of the donations, said Laurie Chaney, CEO of Charity Watch, an independent nonprofit watchdog. 'That isn't a good thing,' Chaney said. While the new numbers provided by Aaron show the golf tournament garnered more donations than originally reported, it still wouldn't help the bottom line, according to the IRS. Rather, the additional expenses Aaron flagged would mean the event lost even more than the foundation's 990 tax form shows, a total of $73,000. Chaney said she hasn't seen many successful charity-run golf tournaments. 'For organizations that use golf tournaments as their primary means of raising funds, it sometimes appears that charities are using them more to subsidize their board members' golf hobbies than as an efficient means of raising donations to support their charity's mission,' she said. The foundation's tax return was prepared by Carroll & Company, the same Tallahassee accounting firm that handled the books for the political action committee Keep Florida, the one set up by Uthmeier that got money from Hope Florida. It also did accounting for DeSantis' Florida Freedom Fund, another political committee set up to combat the marijuana legalization initiative as well as a ballot amendment to overturn a six-week abortion ban and expand women's reproductive rights. Kelly Kundinger, currently a senior advisor to Sen. Ashley Moody, was the chief operating officer for the Florida Freedom Fund and responsible for the golf tournament's billing. She did not return an email seeking comment. 'At its most basic, the accounting of the event should match the 990,' said Glen Casel, a former Central Florida nonprofit executive with 30-plus years of experience, who called the addition of hundreds of thousands of dollars 'alarming.' 'It is not normal to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in corrections,' he said. Among the donors to the golf tournament was Centene Corp., the state's largest Medicaid managed care provider, which has played a notable role in the Hope Florida foundation controversy. It was Centene that made the legal settlement with the state, totaling $67 million, that spun off the $10 million the Hope Florida Foundation channeled to two political nonprofits aligned with efforts to defeat the marijuana initiative. Centene gave the golf tournament $100,000 more than was reported to the IRS, according to Aaron's list of donors.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
IRS extends tax filing deadline for March wildfire victims
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KFOR) – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Monday tax relief for Oklahomans affected by March wildfires and straight-line winds. IRS officials say, taxpayers have until November 3, 2025 to file tax returns and make tax payments. Additionally, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced individuals and households that reside or have a business in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Oklahoma, Pawnee, and Payne counties qualify for tax relief. Free Summer Concert Series kicks off at The Chisholm June 19 According to IRS, the emergency declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines in the disaster areas. The Nov. 3, 2025, deadline also applies to affected businesses: Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on April 30, July 31, and Oct. 31, 2025. Calendar-year partnership and S corporation returns normally due on March 17, 2025. Calendar-year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025. Calendar-year tax-exempt organization returns normally due on May 15, 2025. A view a current list of eligible localities click here. Taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should contact 866-562-5227 for tax relief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima (IRS): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima (IRS) on From 0 to 1 in the Stock Market's Substack by Giuliano. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on IRS. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima (IRS)'s share was trading at $ 14.63 as of 5th June. IRS's trailing P/E was 7.83 according to Yahoo Finance. Aerial view of a shopping mall bustling with consumers. Irsa presents a compelling opportunity as a deeply misunderstood Argentinian real estate operator trading well below the intrinsic value of its high-quality, cash-generating portfolio. At its core, Irsa owns and operates a diversified mix of shopping malls, office buildings, hotels, and development land, mostly in and around Buenos Aires. Following a five-year corporate simplification, including the 2021 merger with its subsidiary Irsa CP, management has focused on increasing operational efficiency, reducing its office footprint, and redirecting capital into core assets like retail. Irsa's 16 malls encompass 370,000 sqm of GLA, generating consistent tenant sales and achieving occupancy rates above 94%. Its dual rent model—base rent plus a variable sales-linked fee—allows income to scale as the economy improves. Despite Argentina's turmoil, mall gross margins have averaged 90%, with normalized operating margins of 70–75%, reflecting both asset quality and prudent management. Recent capital deployments affirm the company's reinvestment discipline. In August 2024, Irsa acquired a parcel adjacent to Alto Avellaneda for $12.2M, with the potential to add $3.47M in after-tax profit plus $1.15M in non-rental income. In December, Irsa announced the acquisition of Terrazas de Mayo, a mall with 33,720 sqm of GLA and an estimated 7 million annual visitors, adding further depth to its portfolio. The company's selective expansion strategy has historically yielded durable returns, underpinned by long asset lives and prime locations. Meanwhile, Irsa has actively reduced its office footprint from 115,000 to 59,000 sqm since 2018, monetizing non-core holdings while adding premium inventory like the Della Paollera tower. Its hotel segment, with three long-held properties, rebounded strongly in FY24 with $45M in revenue and a 29% operating margin, supported by resilient domestic and affluent tourist demand. Irsa's resilience through multiple recessions and the pandemic stems from its disciplined asset management and high-margin structure. Yet, the market often overlooks this due to Argentina's macro instability and the noise in Irsa's income statements from frequent asset revaluations. Book value—currently around 1.3x EV—masks the actual cash flow potential, particularly from the malls, which are carried at ~$1,500 per sqm despite consistent profitability. Management's capital allocation—like incremental mall expansions yielding mid- to high-single-digit returns—combined with strong insider ownership, a clean balance sheet, and all-risk insurance on its core assets, signals a long-term owner-operator mindset. If Argentina embarks on even modest economic growth, rising consumption, tourism, and asset prices should further lift Irsa's earnings power. Even in stagnation, the assets have proven their durability. Ultimately, Irsa's asset quality, cash flow visibility, long-duration runway, and improved governance point to a business whose risk-reward profile appears skewed to the upside. While macro volatility and governance concerns in Argentina persist, further due diligence may alleviate those risks. At current valuations, Irsa offers a substantial margin of safety—and a rare chance to own a portfolio of enduring real assets in one of Latin America's most strategically located cities. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima (IRS) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 6 hedge fund portfolios held IRS at the end of the first quarter which was 6 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of IRS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
