Does the IRS send text messages?

The IRS says it does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text message or social media to request personal or financial information. When the IRS needs to reach you about your taxes, it normally starts with a letter sent by mail. A text about your refund that asks you to click a link or confirm details is not from the IRS.

How can I check the status of my real tax refund?

Use the Where's My Refund tool on irs.gov, or the official IRS2Go app. Type irs.gov into your browser yourself rather than searching, so you don't land on an ad for a lookalike site. You'll need your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and the exact refund amount from your return.

Where do I report an IRS scam text?

The IRS asks people to report IRS-themed phishing to phishing@irs.gov. You can also forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your mobile carrier, and report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Don't reply to the text itself.

I entered my Social Security number on the fake page. What should I do?

Treat it as identity theft risk. Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and consider getting an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS, which helps stop someone else filing a tax return using your Social Security number. If a card or bank details were entered too, call your bank on the number on your card.

← Is This A Scam?

IRS Refund Text Scams

Last reviewed October 14, 2026

A text says you have a tax refund waiting, or that your refund is on hold until you verify your identity. The link leads to a page that looks official and asks for your Social Security number. The IRS doesn't start contact this way. Here's how to check your real refund.

This scam has an advantage most others don't: a lot of people really are waiting for a refund, and an extra one, from a rebate, credit or adjustment, sounds like good news rather than a threat. The message doesn't try to frighten you. It offers you money and asks for a few details to release it.

The details are the prize. A name, Social Security number, date of birth and address are enough to file a fraudulent tax return in your name, open credit, or sell your identity on. A card or bank number is a bonus.

What one of these looks like

Some versions promise money, others claim there's a problem. Both look roughly like this:

IRS: You are eligible for a tax refund of $1,284.60. Your payment is pending identity verification. Complete your claim within 48 hours to avoid cancellation.
irs-refundclaim.top/verify

The refund amount is specific, the deadline is short, and "identity verification" makes handing over your Social Security number sound like a routine security step. None of it matches how the IRS really pays refunds.

Red flags to look for

It's a text at all. The IRS says it doesn't initiate contact by text, email or social media to ask for personal or financial information.
The link isn't irs.gov. US federal agencies use .gov addresses, and .gov names can only be registered by government organizations. In irs-refundclaim.top/verify, the real domain is irs-refundclaim.top.
A refund you didn't file for, or one that's different from the amount on the return you sent.
A deadline to "claim" a refund. Refunds from a return you filed are paid by the method you chose on the return. There's nothing to claim.
A page asking for your Social Security number, date of birth, a photo of your ID, or your bank login to "release" the money.
Mentions of a stimulus payment, "tax rebate" or "economic impact payment" with a link to apply.
A text from an ordinary phone number or an email address rather than any official channel.

The .gov rule, and its limit

A web address that genuinely ends in .gov is a strong sign you're on a real government site, because those names are restricted. Check where .gov sits, though. In irs.gov.refund-status.net, the real domain is refund-status.net, and "irs.gov" is just a label at the front. We explain how to read this properly in how to check a suspicious link. Even so, the safest habit with tax messages is not to follow links at all, and to type irs.gov yourself.

How the IRS actually contacts you

When the IRS needs something from you, the first contact is normally a letter sent by mail, with a notice or letter number printed on it that you can look up on irs.gov. Refunds are paid by the method you picked when you filed, usually direct deposit or a paper check, without any extra verification step through a link.

The IRS does sometimes ask people to verify their identity before it processes a return, when a filing looks suspicious. That request comes by letter, and the letter directs you to the IRS's own website or phone number. It doesn't arrive by text with a link.

What to do instead

1Don't tap the link and don't reply, even to say "stop".
2If you're waiting for a refund, type irs.gov into your browser yourself and use the Where's My Refund tool, or use the official IRS2Go app. That shows the real status of any refund you're owed.
3If you received an IRS letter and want to check it's genuine, look up the notice number printed on it at irs.gov, or call the IRS on a number listed on irs.gov rather than a number in a message.
4Report the text. The IRS asks people to send IRS-themed phishing to phishing@irs.gov. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) as well, then delete it.
5If you use a tax preparer or tax software, contact them through their official app or website if you're unsure about anything. They can see what was filed.

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If you already entered your details

What to do depends on what you typed. Social Security numbers are the most serious, because unlike a card, you can't simply cancel and replace one.

1If you entered card or bank details, call your bank or card issuer on the number on the back of your card and ask them to block the card and watch the account. Dispute anything you don't recognise.
2If you entered your Social Security number or date of birth, go to IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC's identity theft site, which builds a personal recovery plan and helps you file an identity theft report.
3Place a credit freeze with all three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It's free, it stops most new credit being opened in your name, and you can lift it when you need to.
4Consider getting an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS through irs.gov. It's a number that must be on any return filed with your Social Security number, which makes it much harder for someone else to file a fake return and take your refund.
5If someone has already filed a tax return in your name, the IRS has a specific identity theft affidavit, Form 14039, and IdentityTheft.gov can help you complete it.
6Report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and send the text to phishing@irs.gov.

For the wider order of steps, including what to do if money left your account, see how to report a scam. Text scams that borrow a trusted name all share the same shape, so the unpaid toll text and the USPS package text will look familiar.

Common questions

Does the IRS send text messages?: The IRS says it does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text message or social media to request personal or financial information. When the IRS needs to reach you about your taxes, it normally starts with a letter sent by mail. A text about your refund that asks you to click a link or confirm details is not from the IRS.
How can I check the status of my real tax refund?: Use the Where's My Refund tool on irs.gov, or the official IRS2Go app. Type irs.gov into your browser yourself rather than searching, so you don't land on an ad for a lookalike site. You'll need your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and the exact refund amount from your return.
Where do I report an IRS scam text?: The IRS asks people to report IRS-themed phishing to phishing@irs.gov. You can also forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your mobile carrier, and report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Don't reply to the text itself.
I entered my Social Security number on the fake page. What should I do?: Treat it as identity theft risk. Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and consider getting an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS, which helps stop someone else filing a tax return using your Social Security number. If a card or bank details were entered too, call your bank on the number on your card.

This page is informational and we aren't affiliated with any company or agency named on it. We can't tell you whether your specific message is genuine. Verify independently: open the company's official app or type their website address yourself, and call the number printed on your card, statement, or the back of your ID — never a number supplied by the message.

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