New Scam Targets Universities

IRS warns university students and staff of impersonation email scam.

Scam Targets “.edu” Email Addresses

The Internal Revenue Service warned of an ongoing IRS-impersonation scam that appears to primarily target educational institutions, including students and staff who have “.edu” email addresses.

The IRS’s phishing@irs.gov has received complaints about the impersonation scam in recent weeks from people with email addresses ending in “.edu.” The phishing emails appear to target university and college students from public, private, profit, and non-profit institutions.

What Suspicious Emails Look Like

The suspect emails display the IRS logo and use various subject lines such as “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.” It asks people to click a link and submit a form to claim their refund.

The phishing website requests that you provide your:

Social Security Number
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
Prior Year Annual Gross Income (AGI)
Driver’s License Number
Current Address
City
State/U.S. Territory
ZIP Code/Postal Code
Electronic Filing PIN

DO NOT Click on Links!

If you receive this scam email, DO NOT click on the link in the email. Report it to the IRS. For security reasons, save the email using “save as” and then send that attachment to phishing@irs.gov or forward the email as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and IRS Criminal Investigation have been notified.

If you believe you may have provided identity thieves with this information, consider immediately obtaining an Identity Protection PIN. This is a voluntary opt-in program. An IP PIN is a six-digit number that helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns in the victim’s name.

Rejected Returns

If you attempt to e-file your tax return and find it rejected because a return with your SSN has already been filed, you should file a Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, to report you are a possible victim of identity theft. Learn more about the signs of identity theft and actions to take at Identity Theft Central.

A Final Note

If you believe you have a pending refund, you can easily check on its status at “Where’s My Refund?” only on IRS.gov.

Remember, the IRS never requests personal information through emails or phone contact. If you receive one of these scam emails, notify the IRS immediately.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay home.