IRS Scam Alert: Text Message Offering $1,400 EIP with Suspicious Link from "youdede_weifangjiu_weihaoteng_1"

I just got a text message from a number claiming to be the IRS saying "You are eligible to receive a $1,400 Economic Impact Payment." The message asks me to "provide accurate personal information" and claims they'll "deposit the amount into your bank account or mail a paper check within 1 to 2 business days." The text came from someone named "youdede_weifangjiu_weihaoteng_1" and includes a link to "irs.gov.instruc-tax.com". They want me to reply "Y" and then reopen the message to click the link or copy it into Safari. Here's the full text of the message I received at 5:37PM (my battery was at 68%): "Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 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. https://www.irs.gov.instruc-tax.com (Please reply with "Y," then exit the text message. Open it again, click the link, or copy it into your Safari browser and open it.)" I tried clicking but couldn't get it to work. Something seems off about this but wanted to check if others have received similar messages about Economic Impact Payments. The weird username, the strange instructions about exiting and reopening the message, and especially that suspicious URL that looks like it's trying to appear official but isn't actually an irs.gov domain - all red flags to me. Has anyone else gotten texts like this recently? Should I report this somewhere?

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13 comments

Javier Morales

The screenshot shows several clear red flags indicating a sophisticated phishing scam targeting Economic Impact Payment recipients. The sender's username "youdede_weifangjiu_weihaoteng_1" is highly suspicious and does not match any official government naming convention. The URL structure "irs.gov.instruc-tax.com" is a telltale scam indicator - while it tries to look legitimate by including "irs.gov", the actual domain is "instruc-tax.com" which is not an official government website. The message's specific promise of $1,400 within "1 to 2 business days" is designed to create urgency and excitement. The unusual instructions to "reply Y, exit, then reopen" are likely meant to bypass spam detection or malware scanning. The time stamp (5:37 PM) and battery indicator (68%) visible in the screenshot confirm this is a mobile text message, which is never how the IRS initiates contact with taxpayers. The IRS exclusively communicates through official postal mail about tax matters and economic impact payments. This is a dangerous phishing attempt seeking to steal personal and financial information. Report it to phishing@irs.gov and delete it immediately. Never click links or provide personal information to unsolicited texts claiming to be from government agencies.

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