Inflation tax refund check scam discovered in Rochester

The New York State government recently announced that it would soon issue inflation-adjusted tax rebate checks to millions of eligible residents. Reports indicate that even before New York State residents received their checks, some residents in upstate Rochester have received text messages using the inflation-adjusted tax rebate check scam. The messages demanded that recipients take action within a specified timeframe or risk losing their tax refund eligibility. The purpose of the scam was to steal residents’ personal and banking information.

According to News10 NBC, a night shift nurse and her colleague at a Rochester hospital received the same text message. The message appeared to be from the New York Department of Revenue. The message stated, “Your refund request has been processed and approved. Please provide accurate payment information by September 22nd. We will deposit the funds into your bank account or send you a paper check within one to two business days.”

The text message also stated, “If the requested payment information is not sent by September 23rd, you will be permanently ineligible for this refund, in accordance with New York State Tax Code Section 19322.” The text message instructed the recipient to reply “Y,” then close the message and reopen it. A link to a form with payment information would then appear.

According to the night nurse, the text message appeared innocent at first glance, but upon closer inspection, she discovered several suspicious points that raised red flags. For example, the area code of the mobile phone number sending the text message was 63, indicating that it originated from the Philippines. State government agencies stated that they generally do not send text messages to residents, a point repeatedly emphasized by government agencies at all levels. Law enforcement agencies have also repeatedly emphasized that bank account information should never be entered into a text message link without verifying the source.

The text message also demanded action within a specified timeframe, another red flag, the nurse said. “They give you a timeframe, like two to three days to complete a certain action, or your refund will be revoked. It’s a scare tactic.”

The night shift nurse said several of her colleagues received the scam text message, and one of them actually filled out her bank and debit card information and pressed “send.” She told her colleague to notify her bank immediately and monitor her account closely, requesting a freeze on any unusual activity. The nurse said she didn’t know why they were targeted.

New York State residents only need to file their 2023 state tax returns. The tax department will decide whether to grant an inflation refund, and residents do not need to apply for this refund separately.