R

Tax season is in full swing, as millions of Americans are currently working on filing or patiently waiting for their tax return check to arrive in their mailbox or bank account. This season can also be prime time for criminals looking to steal your identity or hard-earned money, but there are easy measures you can take to stay safe.

Like any form of financial fraud, tax scams are best fought by staying aware. Criminals commonly use things like phishing emails to try and steal personal information so they can file fraudulent tax returns or steal refunds. They try to reach victims by impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, tax preparers, or other officials in phone calls or send emails with links or attachments leading to pages to enter your private information. According to the IRS 2024 Agency Financial Report, the IRS flagged nearly 2 million tax returns for potential identity theft and fraud in 2024, with fraudulent returns totaling approximately $16.5 billion.

Unfortunately, phishing emails and phony IRS phone calls aren’t the only ways criminals are trying to steal tax refunds.

Rising Threat: U.S. Treasury Check Fraud

Another tax scam has also been on the rise in the last several years: U.S. Treasury check fraud.

With this scam, criminals send counterfeit tax refund checks that appear legitimate to individuals, who unknowingly attempt to cash them thinking they’re real. The scammers then contact the victim and claim they accidentally overpaid or didn’t deduct processing fees from the tax refund check, and the victim is required to wire back the excess funds. Once the financial institution discovers the check is fake, the victim–not the scammer–can be held responsible for the entire amount.

How to Protect Yourself

It’s important to remember U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Treasury will never ask you to wire money or pay fees to receive your tax refund or any other Treasury check.

When filing with a professional, never use a tax preparer from an unverified or questionable source. After you file your taxes, you can track your refund on the IRS website at irs.gov. You can also verify your refund check’s legitimacy by using the Bureau of the Fiscal Service Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS) at tcvs.fiscal.treasury.gov. You simply enter the issue date, symbol, serial number, check amount, and routing number, and the system verifies your check.

There are also ways to visually determine if a U.S. Treasury check is fraudulent. All Treasury checks use routing numbers ending in 518 preceded by zeroes, and there will be a “U.S. Treasury” watermark visible on both the front and back of the check if it is legitimate.

If you suspect you’ve received a fraudulent U.S. Treasury check, do not cash it and immediately contact the Bureau of the Fiscal Service Call Center at 1-855-868-0151 to report it.

Also, if you received an unsolicited tax-related email from the IRS or U.S. Treasury and you believe it could be scam, forward the email as-is to phishing@irs.gov and delete the original email.

More Fraud Prevention Tips

Fraud prevention doesn’t stop once tax season is over. It’s important to always stay aware of potential scams and keep your personal information secure. Other simple tips you can use to protect yourself from scammers include:

•     Never open emails or click links on emails from untrusted sources.

•     Be wary if you’re requested to take immediate action.

•     Never send money to someone you don’t know.

•     Monitor your accounts regularly.

•     Be cautious if you’re being promised quick cash or low-risk, high-reward cash opportunities.

In addition to these tips, it’s wise practice to monitor your credit score, and sign up for any fraud alerts your financial institution may offer. If you are an Ascend member, you can easily set up fraud alerts for suspicious activity directly within digital banking. By safeguarding your personal information and staying on top of potential scams, you can take full advantage of your tax refund and put it to work helping you reach your financial goals.

Ascend is federally insured by the NCUA.

Raven Garner is the Ascend Assistant Vice President of Fraud and Security.