SCAM ALERT: Fake IRS Text Offering $1,400 EIP Using Suspicious URL "irs.gov.taxinstr.com" - Complete With Official-Looking Branding
I just got this text message about an Economic Impact Payment and I'm really worried about whether it's legitimate. The message claims to be from an "official website of the United States Government" and includes the IRS logo at the top of the page. The text message showed a webpage with "An official website of the United States Government" at the very top, and then the IRS logo. The page had navigation options for "Help," "News," and "Exit" in the header. Under that was a section titled "Economic Impact Payment" that stated: "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 page then had text saying "The IRS is committed to providing you with support and assistance." Below this were options including "Get My Payment" and a section asking "How can we help you?" with another option to "Apply for an Employer ID Number (EIN)". What made me immediately suspicious is that the URL shown at the bottom of the screenshot is "irs.gov.taxinstr.com" instead of just ending in .gov. Legitimate government websites always end with .gov - they don't have additional domains after that. The whole thing looks very official with all the right branding and options, but that URL is a major red flag. I'm worried this is a scam trying to get my personal and banking information. Can anyone confirm if this is legitimate or a scam? I don't want to miss out on a payment if it's real, but I also don't want to get scammed.
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Mason Davis
The text message shows a sophisticated phishing scam designed to mimic official IRS communications. The message displays a fake IRS website interface with carefully crafted elements to appear legitimate, including: - A $1,400 Economic Impact Payment offer - Official-sounding language about "support and assistance" - Navigation options like "Help" and "News" - Legitimate-looking features like "Get My Payment" and "Apply for EIN" Critical red flags in the OCR content: 1. The URL "irs.gov.taxinstr.com" is a deceptive domain - legitimate IRS websites only end in .gov 2. The promise of payment within "1 to 2 business days" is unrealistically quick 3. The request for "accurate personal information" is a typical phishing tactic to steal sensitive data 4. The overall design mimics the IRS website but includes subtle irregularities The IRS never initiates contact through text messages or requests personal/banking information this way. This is a dangerous phishing attempt that should be reported to phishing@irs.gov and deleted immediately. Do not click any links or provide any information through this message.
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Sophia Miller
•omg thank you! almost fell for it ngl 😅
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Mia Rodriguez
•these scammers getting real creative these days smh 🤦♀️
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Jacob Lewis
If you want to actually check your EIP status, use taxr.ai - it's a legit tool that analyzes your transcript and tells you exactly what's going on with any payments or refunds. Costs $1 but worth it to avoid scams like this. https://taxr.ai
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Amelia Martinez
•fr this app works? seems interesting
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Jacob Lewis
•Yeah its legit! Used it last week to check my transcript. Shows everything clear as day and explains all the codes
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Amelia Martinez
•just tried it and WOW 🔥 finally understand wtf is going on with my account!
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Ethan Clark
I got the same txt! blocked that number so fast lol
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Mila Walker
my grandma almost fell for something similar last month. these scammers are the worst 🤮
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Logan Scott
•fr fr they always target elderly people. makes me sick
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Chloe Green
Pro tip: save the real IRS website (irs.gov) in your bookmarks. Never click links from texts or emails claiming to be IRS
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Lucas Adams
•this is the way 💯
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Harper Hill
Call the IRS directly if ur unsure about anything. Better safe than sorry
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Caden Nguyen
•lmao good luck getting through tho 💀
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Harper Hill
•true dat. hold times be crazy rn
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Natasha Volkova
Another telltale sign of this scam is the timing - legitimate EIP payments ended years ago, so any new messages claiming you're eligible for a $1,400 payment should be an immediate red flag. The IRS doesn't send out surprise payments via text, and they definitely don't ask you to "provide accurate personal information" through suspicious links. Always remember: if it sounds too good to be true and comes through an unexpected channel, it probably is a scam.
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