South Dakotans are getting emails that look like they’re from the IRS, but they’re really scams. This spring, the state’s Attorney General Marty Jackley says his office is getting several reports each day about the scam emails.
As some people still await their returns from the IRS, fake emails are going around fishing for personal information. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the emails appear to be legitimate.
"They have the IRS emblem on it. It talks about, they’ve identified an error in the calculation of or they want a return excess payment, so it would look legitimate; however, again, this is simply a means that the scam artists are seeking personal information and that the IRS does not communicate via email about a tax filing problem or an excessive payment or refund," Jackley says.
"The scam artists are seeking personal information, so they will solicit that either directly from the South Dakota consumer or request the consumer to fill out what they call a Tax Gateway Account to apply for a certain credit."
Jackley reminds people the IRS does not contact anyone through email.
People who did respond to the scam and put their personal information at risk can still call the Consumer Protection Division to determine how to secure their information. Jackley encourages people who see the emails to contact the Attorney General’s office. The number to call is (800)300-1986.