Revenue Tax Refund Text Scam — Warning for Ireland
A text claiming to be from Revenue says you are due a tax refund and need to provide your bank details through a link. Revenue does not send refund notifications by text message. This smishing scam is widespread in Ireland, particularly around the end of the tax year.
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How This Scam Works
Critical Risk — Revenue Does Not Send Refund Notifications by Text
Revenue (the Irish tax authority) does not send text messages about tax refunds. Any text claiming to offer a refund from Revenue is a scam.
Note: This scam typically arrives via text message, not email. If you received a suspicious email, forward it to check@scam.support for a free risk assessment. For text scams, report to An Garda Siochana — see all reporting agencies.
A text claiming to be from Revenue says you are due a tax refund and need to provide your bank details through a link. The link leads to a fake Revenue website that requests your PPS number, bank account details, and personal information. This scam is widespread in Ireland, particularly around the end of the tax year.
According to FraudSMART (the fraud awareness initiative of Banking and Payments Federation Ireland), phishing and smishing scams impersonating Revenue are among the most commonly reported fraud types in Ireland, especially during tax season.
Red Flags
- Text claims to be from Revenue about a tax refund
- Includes a link to a website that is not revenue.ie
- Asks for your PPS number or bank details
- Creates urgency about claiming your refund before a deadline
- Revenue does not communicate refund details by text
What You Should Do
What To Do
- Do not tap the link in the text
- Check your tax status at revenue.ie through myAccount or ROS directly
- Report to Revenue through their official website at revenue.ie
- Report to An Garda Siochana
- Delete the text message
Sources
- FraudSMART (Banking and Payments Federation Ireland) — Smishing — Revenue impersonation scam warnings
- Revenue Commissioners — Fraudulent emails, SMS and phone calls