Received Pay1040 Payment Confirmation Email with IRS EFT Reference Number I Didn't Authorize - Possible Scam?

This definitely sounds suspicious. Pay1040.com is a legitimate IRS-approved payment processor, but receiving a confirmation for a payment you didn't make is concerning. Here are some steps you should take: 1. Don't click any links in the email. If you need to check your account, go directly to pay1040.com by typing the URL in your browser. 2. Log into your Pay1040 account (again, directly through the website, not email links) to see if there's any record of a recent transaction. 3. Check the sender's email address carefully. Legitimate emails from Pay1040 should come from a pay1040.com domain, not something similar like pay1040online.com or pay1040-irs.com. 4. Contact Pay1040 through their official channels. Their customer service number is 1-888-729-1040. If the phone line isn't working, try their email support. 5. If you confirm this is fraudulent, place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus and consider freezing your credit. The IRS EFT Reference Number is actually useful - if someone did make a fraudulent payment, that reference number will help track it down. Save the email but don't interact with it until you've confirmed its legitimacy.

I had a similar issue last month with confusing tax documents and verification! After trying to get through to the IRS for days, I ended up using this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped identify if the document was legitimate. They have this cool feature where they analyze tax documents and communications to verify authenticity and explain what's happening. I uploaded a screenshot of a suspicious email I got (similar to yours) and their system immediately flagged it as potentially fraudulent and explained exactly what to look for. The service also showed me the differences between the fake email and legitimate Pay1040 communications. Saved me a ton of worry and probably prevented identity theft!

Just wanted to update everyone - I took the advice about using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) from COMMENT 2 and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded a screenshot of the suspicious "Pay1040" email I received, and within seconds the system highlighted several red flags I hadn't even noticed - subtle differences in the email header formatting, slight variations in the company logo, and inconsistencies in the payment language compared to legitimate Pay1040 communications. The analysis confirmed it was a sophisticated phishing attempt targeting taxpayers. I've reported it to the FTC's fraud department and changed all my passwords just to be safe. Definitely recommend checking out the service if you receive any suspicious tax-related communications - it's way faster than waiting on hold with the IRS for hours!

If you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS about this (which I would recommend), try using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was dealing with a similar situation last year where someone filed a fraudulent return using my info, and I couldn't get through to the IRS for WEEKS. The Claimyr service basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you back when an agent is about to be available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS wait times right now are ridiculous (2+ hours), especially with tax season in full swing. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration. The IRS agent I spoke with was able to confirm that no payment had been processed under my SSN and helped me file a fraud alert.

OK I need to apologize to everyone here. I was super skeptical about both services mentioned (the document checker and the IRS call service), but I just got the same Pay1040 phishing email yesterday and was desperate for help. I decided to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) since I needed to talk to the IRS urgently. I'm completely shocked - it actually worked exactly as described. I entered my number on their site, and about 1 hour 45 minutes later I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS representative who was already on the line. No waiting on hold, no dealing with the phone tree - just straight to a human who helped confirm no payments had been processed with my info and placed a fraud alert on my account. The IRS agent I spoke with actually mentioned they've seen a huge increase in Pay1040 phishing emails recently and are investigating. Just wanted to share in case anyone else is hesitant - this service legitimately works and saved me hours of frustration.

I work at a tax prep office and we've seen a HUGE spike in these Pay1040 phishing emails in the past 2 weeks. It's definitely a scam going around. The real concern is how they're getting people's email addresses and knowing that you've used Pay1040 in the past. One thing to check - hover over (don't click!) any links in the email. The real Pay1040 domain should be exactly pay1040.com, not pay1040.co or pay1040-verification.com or anything similar. These scammers are getting very sophisticated with how official their emails look. Also, if you look at the email header details (the full routing info), you'll often see the email originated from overseas servers, not from Pay1040's actual mail servers. That's another red flag.

I got the exact same email yesterday!!!! I panicked and called my bank right away to see if any money had been taken out. Nothing was missing but they put a note on my account and said to watch for suspicious activity. The bank rep told me this is a known phishing campaign happening right now. WHATEVER YOU DO - DON'T CLICK ANY LINKS IN THE EMAIL! That's how they get your login info. And definitely don't reply to the email either.

This is definitely a widespread phishing campaign targeting taxpayers. I've been seeing reports of these fake Pay1040 emails all over tax forums this week. The scammers are getting really sophisticated - they're using legitimate-looking formatting and even including fake EFT reference numbers to make it seem official. A few additional red flags to watch for in these emails: - Generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your actual name - Urgent language trying to get you to act quickly - Slight misspellings in the company name or domain - Requests to "verify" your account information The fact that you checked your accounts and found no transactions is a good sign - it confirms this is just a phishing attempt. The scammers are hoping people will panic and click links or provide personal information. For anyone else getting these emails, forward them to phishing-report@us-cert.gov and reportphishing@apwg.org. The more reports these agencies get, the faster they can shut down the fraudulent operations. You can also report it directly to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. Stay vigilant everyone - tax season always brings out the scammers!

This is definitely a sophisticated phishing scam that's been hitting a lot of taxpayers recently. I work in cybersecurity and we've been tracking this campaign - the scammers are using data from previous breaches to target people who have actually used Pay1040 before, which is why it feels so convincing. A few technical things to check that others haven't mentioned: - Look at the "Reply-To" address in the email headers (different from the "From" address) - scammers often use this to redirect replies to different domains - Check if the email uses HTTPS links vs HTTP - legitimate financial services always use secure HTTPS - The timestamp in the email might not match your timezone if it's coming from overseas servers Since you've confirmed no actual transaction occurred, you're dealing with a phishing attempt rather than actual fraud. Still report it to the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) at ic3.gov - they coordinate with international law enforcement to shut down these operations. Also recommend enabling two-factor authentication on any accounts you use for tax payments. These scammers often try multiple attack vectors once they have your email address.

This whole thread has been incredibly educational! I received a similar suspicious email from what looked like Pay1040 last week and was completely panicked. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been so reassuring. I ended up following the steps mentioned here - checked my actual Pay1040 account (no transactions), examined the email headers more carefully, and found several red flags I initially missed. The Reply-To address was completely different from the sender, and there were subtle formatting differences compared to legitimate emails I had from them last year. What really struck me is how organized this phishing campaign seems to be. The fact that multiple people are reporting identical experiences suggests these scammers have access to lists of people who have actually used Pay1040 before. That's what made it so convincing initially. I've reported the email to all the agencies mentioned (IRS, IC3, and the phishing report addresses) and placed fraud alerts on my credit reports as a precaution. Also enabled 2FA on all my financial accounts. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge - this community is invaluable for helping people navigate these increasingly sophisticated scams during tax season!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just received the exact same suspicious Pay1040 email this morning and was completely freaking out. After reading through everyone's experiences, I feel much more confident that this is indeed a phishing scam. I followed the advice here and checked my actual Pay1040 account directly through their website - no recent transactions showing up, which confirms this is fake. I also examined the email more carefully and found several red flags I missed initially: the sender domain had a subtle misspelling (pay1040s.com instead of pay1040.com), and when I hovered over the links, they were redirecting to completely unrelated websites. What's particularly concerning is how they knew I had used Pay1040 before - the email referenced my "previous tax season" usage, which made it feel legitimate at first. This suggests they're working from data breaches or purchased email lists targeting actual Pay1040 users. I've already: - Reported the email to phishing@irs.gov, IC3.gov, and the other addresses mentioned - Placed fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus - Changed passwords on my financial accounts - Enabled 2FA where I didn't have it already Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this community response has been invaluable for helping people recognize and respond to this widespread scam. Stay vigilant everyone, especially during tax season!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I received what I now realize is the same phishing email about 3 days ago and was completely confused because I hadn't made any payments either. Reading everyone's experiences has been so reassuring - it's clear this is a widespread, coordinated scam targeting people who have legitimately used Pay1040 in the past. What really bothers me is how they're getting this targeting information. The email I received referenced specific details that made it seem authentic initially - mentioning "your recent tax filing activity" and using the correct EFT reference number format. It's obviously a sophisticated operation using data from previous breaches or purchased lists. I followed the steps recommended here: - Logged directly into Pay1040.com (not through any email links) - confirmed no transactions - Examined the email headers and found the same red flags others mentioned - suspicious Reply-To domain and HTTP links instead of HTTPS - Reported to IRS phishing email, IC3, and other agencies mentioned in this thread - Placed fraud alerts on my credit reports - Enabled additional account monitoring on all my financial accounts One thing I want to emphasize for anyone just discovering this thread - don't feel embarrassed about initially falling for these emails. They're incredibly well-crafted and designed specifically to create panic so you act without thinking. The fact that so many people are reporting identical experiences shows just how organized and widespread this campaign is. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - this community response is exactly what we need to help people protect themselves during tax season!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I just received the exact same suspicious Pay1040 email this afternoon and was in a complete panic thinking someone had used my information to make an unauthorized tax payment. Finding this discussion has been such a relief - it's clear this is part of a massive, well-coordinated phishing campaign targeting people who have legitimately used Pay1040 services before. Like many others here, what initially made the email seem credible was how they referenced my "previous tax season usage" and included what appeared to be a legitimate EFT reference number format. The scammers are clearly working from compromised data or purchased email lists that specifically target actual Pay1040 users. I immediately followed the comprehensive advice shared in this thread: - Went directly to pay1040.com (typed the URL manually, didn't click any email links) and logged into my account - confirmed zero recent transactions - Carefully examined the email headers and found multiple red flags: suspicious Reply-To domain different from the sender, HTTP links instead of HTTPS, and subtle formatting differences compared to legitimate Pay1040 emails I received last year - Reported the phishing attempt to phishing@irs.gov, ic3.gov, reportphishing@apwg.org, and phishing-report@us-cert.gov - Placed fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus as a precautionary measure - Enabled two-factor authentication on all my financial accounts and set up enhanced monitoring alerts What's particularly concerning is how sophisticated and targeted this campaign is. The fact that dozens of people in this thread have reported nearly identical experiences shows this isn't just random spam - it's a coordinated attack specifically designed to exploit taxpayers' legitimate concerns about their financial information. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences, technical insights, and actionable advice. This kind of community knowledge-sharing is exactly what we need to help fellow taxpayers recognize and respond appropriately to these increasingly sophisticated scams. Stay vigilant during tax season everyone!

I'm really glad I found this thread! I just received what appears to be the same fraudulent Pay1040 email about an hour ago and was completely terrified that someone had somehow accessed my tax information and made unauthorized payments. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been incredibly reassuring and educational. Like so many others here, what initially made the email seem legitimate was how specifically it referenced my "previous use of Pay1040 services" - I did actually use their platform last tax season, so this felt very targeted and real at first glance. The scammers clearly have access to data about actual Pay1040 users, which makes this phishing campaign particularly insidious. I followed the excellent advice shared throughout this thread: - Went directly to pay1040.com by typing the URL manually and logged into my account - confirmed no recent transactions whatsoever - Examined the email headers carefully and discovered the same red flags others identified: the Reply-To address was from a completely different domain, links were HTTP instead of HTTPS, and there were subtle but noticeable formatting inconsistencies compared to legitimate emails from Pay1040 - Immediately reported the phishing attempt to all the agencies mentioned: phishing@irs.gov, ic3.gov, reportphishing@apwg.org, and phishing-report@us-cert.gov - Placed fraud alerts with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion as a precautionary measure - Updated passwords on all my financial accounts and enabled two-factor authentication where I didn't already have it What strikes me most about this thread is how it's become a comprehensive resource that shows the power of community knowledge sharing. From the initial panic of receiving these emails to the detailed technical analysis of red flags to the specific protective steps we can take - this discussion contains everything someone needs to properly handle this type of sophisticated phishing attempt. It's deeply concerning how organized and targeted this campaign appears to be, but I feel much more confident now knowing there are clear steps to take and that I'm definitely not alone in dealing with this. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this community response is exactly what taxpayers need to protect themselves during this vulnerable time of year!