ROCHESTER, N.Y. – New York State is set to send out inflation refund checks to millions of residents, but a scam text is circulating that claims recipients need to take action to receive their money.
An overnight nurse and her coworkers all got the same text scam. She shared that the text initially appeared legitimate, but several red flags emerged upon closer inspection.
The state typically does not send texts. The message came from a number with a 63 area code, which is from the Philippines. Recipients should never enter bank account information through a link in a text without verifying the source. The text also included a time-sensitive request, which is another warning sign.
“They’re giving you a certain amount of time frame, like a two or three day window period to go. And, yeah, put this in or else you’re forfeiting the refund altogether. So it’s a scare tactic on top of it,” the nurse said.
Click here to figure out how you can spot a scam.
To receive the inflation refund check, residents only need to ensure they have filed their 2023 taxes. Several of the nurse’s coworkers also received the scam text. One coworker completed the process, entering her card number and hitting submit.
“She had to contact the bank as soon as it opens because, you know, there’s no customer service at this hour. {I told her} just keep an eye on your bank account. So nothing’s happened so far, but, you know, you just don’t know if these people,” the nurse said.
The nurses are uncertain how they became targets of the scam.
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