A new smishing campaign is deceiving New York residents with fraudulent text messages that impersonate the state's Department of Taxation and Finance. The messages falsely claim the recipient is eligible for an "Inflation Refund" and urge them to click a link to submit payment information. This is a scam, as the legitimate New York Inflation Refund is distributed automatically to qualified taxpayers without any application or information submission required.
Clicking the link leads to a counterfeit website that mimics the official tax agency, prompting victims to enter highly sensitive personal data including their Social Security Number. Governor Kathy Hochul's office has issued a public warning, confirming that the state will never contact individuals by text, phone, or email to request details for this refund. The stolen information can be used for identity theft and financial fraud.
Authorities advise recipients to ignore such messages and report them to the Tax Department. New Yorkers are reminded that they do not need to take any action to receive their legitimate inflation refund checks.
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